


Blood Shed

by Daerwyn



Category: Vampire Academy Series - Richelle Mead
Genre: AU, F/M, Post Blood Promise
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-06-27
Updated: 2013-06-27
Packaged: 2017-12-16 07:44:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 26,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daerwyn/pseuds/Daerwyn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The note is delivered and Rose Hathaway has to do everything in her power to save Dimitri before all of those she knows set out to kill him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I was trembling. I read over the note, again and again. I had forgotten Lissa was there until I heard the door shut, and I remembered what had happened between us. We had a short conversation about her truthfulness toward her word to stay with e no matter what, and as her future guardian, I had to try to not out her in any danger.

The battle between me and Dimitri had to happen before school got out, so that Lissa wouldn't be in any danger. I had to get Victor out of jail, or something equally as great, for he knew where his brother was, Robert Doru, and Robert knew how to bring a Strigoi back to its humane self. Or so we're told.

Once Lissa left, I pucked up the stake from the floor and stuck the note in my pocket. I rushed out into the midnight rain and went to the Head Guardian Office. I knocked twice and went in without being called. Alberta would know this was urgent, because I always respected her wishes. She looked up from her guardian handbook that was so worn and torn, it looked centuries old, and I knew she knew it by heart.

My face must have said something, because she said, "What's wrong now?" instead of, "How may I help you?"

I thrust her the stake and the note. My vision went blurry and I collapsed against the wall. She advanced toward me.

"Read it!" I screamed.

She stopped next her desk and read the note and her eyes got wide.

"Oh no!" she moaned, "When did you get this?"

"About five minutes ago, Lissa came in to talk to me about what happened in Siberia, and it came stake and all. That's the stake I, you know, killed Dimitri, well almost killed, and a whole bunch of other Strigoi on the way. Alberta, I am scared. What are we going to do. I cannot miss anymore training. I can't be Lissa's guardian if I do."

"Rose! Calm down. Five minutes? Means he is either already here, or he's close. No one is to leave campus unless it is daylight. You and the other senior novices will guard the wards along with Stan, Janine, the others and I. got it?"

I was shocked. She came up with a plan too quickly. Quicker than I expected. I had to speak my mind.

"We can't kill him."

"Why the hell not?"

"Robert Doru knows how to restore a Strigoi's soul. We have a chance to save him, but I need help."

"Rose! That is incredibly dangerous! We could get killed trying to do that."

"What if we stall him, just long enough. Then, we can get Robert to do whatever it is we need him to do."

"We will have to talk to your mother about this, you know."

No. Oh, NO! I cannot face my mother with this, this, suspension worthy material!

"Yeah, I know."

I was going to hate this confrontation, even if that meant having to tell Abe, my dad about it, too.


	2. Chapter 2

Alberta led me to guest housing, and to the second floor.

My mother, Janine Hathaway, was a dhampir, like myself. She was tough, and well, wasn't real motherly. She's been getting better though, and that really creeps me out.

We stopped in front of a door, number 215. Alberta nodded, and I knocked three times on the door.

A muffled, "Come in!" came from the other side.

Alberta opened the door and gestured for me to lead the way. I shook my head. Mom was going to kill me for this. I knew it. Alberta wouldn't accept my answer and grabbed my arm and led me into the room forcefully. My mother was sitting right there, on the bed, expectantly.

"What did you do now, Rose?"

"How come everytime I come around with Aberta, people think I did something?"

"Because you do!" Oh, right.

I smiled sheepishly. That was true.

"Well, Guardian Hathaway, she did nothing wrong. She did something right, surprisingly."

"Wow." was all she said.

"It appears, former-Guardian Belikov is still alive, as Rose failed to miss the heart." I looked at the floor, "He is coming after her and is either on his way, or already is here. He is either going to kill Rose or try to turn her, and we can't let either happen, due to the fact of Lissa. Who knows what could happen because of the bond." Well, thanks. It's not because you don't care about me?

"How do we get rid of him? He is not going to make it easy, and he obviously wanted us to know about it."

"Mom! I know how to save him. I know who can restore his soul or whatever. We just have to hurry."

"What are you talking about Rose? We can't do that. It would be too dangerous."

"No, it won't. Listen, what if we stall him, sneak up, hold him down and my guy can do whatever he needs to do."

"What guy, Rose?"

"Robert Doru, Victor's brother."

"Rose! NO!" shouted my mother. God, did she have to shout, I was three feet from her.

"Janine, Rose and I will find Robert, you can come if you want, but I will not leave her unattended."

I recalled a sudden memory of when I needed help, in Siberia. It had to work.

"Hold on, I have an idea!"

With that, I ran out of my mom's room and out the door of the visitor dorms. The sun was rising, the time seemed to go by fast. I got to the front gate of the school and yanked them open. The guard looked at me, then sighed loudly, and continued his patrol. There were so many things I could have said to him, but I was on a mission.

I walked out of the front gates, for the second time, without permission, and stopped. I had to panic. There was no other way for this to work.


	3. Chapter 3

I stood there, in the the sunset-lit driveway, I could make out Alberta and my mother's heavy breathing from behind me. They ran.

My eyes searched the ground for a nice sharp rock. I spotted one, in the trees. It wasn't light enough for Strigoi not to be out, so I had to wait. No stupid Rose today.

"Rose-" Alberta began, I cut her off.

"Wait, just till it's lighter."

They stayed quiet. Good. I wasn't going to panic if they were making me feel calm.

Five minutes later, the sun was bright in the sky, and there were birds chirping. Perfect. This was going to work now. I grabbed the rock, and handed it to Alberta.

"Cut yourself!" I ordered.

"Rose?" my mom asked.

"Just do it, so I'll panic and not be able to control my emotions. Do it!" I said, then went to a scream, "Do it or I will do it to myself."

Alberta didn't ask questions. She cut the back of her hands. Nothing. I didn't panic, it didn't even bleed that bad. I tore the bottom of my tee shirt and gave it to her to wrap it up.

"Forget it. I'll just have to do this another way."

I attacked Alberta. The look on her face was priceless. She was shocked and confused. I took her down and she recovered quickly, my mother started to try to pull me off and I attacked her. Alberta tried to pry me off of her. I attacked her, and so on. I started to panic, I was out of breath, and they were just getting started. Wait, I was panicing? Perfect!

Black figures with skull faces started to blur my vision. When I stopped fighting and clutched my head, they stopped and watched me warily.

"Don't worry, this is part of my plan."

I regained my fighting stance, since it was the easiest way to hide my pain. The figures bacame more pronounced. They became full blown ghosts now, with pale sad faces. I wanted to cry. I was slowly losing control.

I stepped forward, as did a pale faced girl around the age of fifteen. She had metallic-y blond hair. I decided to start interrigations.

"Can you help me?" She nodded.

"Do you know what I need?" She shook her head. Damn.

"Okay. Do you know Robert Doru?" She nodded. I smiled.

"Really?" She nodded again.

"Do you know where he is?" She nodded. This was easier than I thought. Then something sunk in.

"Is he dead?" She shook her head. Good.

"Is he a Strigoi?" She gave me a puzzeled look. Then shook her head.

"Where is he?"

She opened her mouth just as Mason did. I winced.

"Court. . .basement. . . jail. . . Tatiana. . ." she whispered inaudibly.

I could translate that.

"Robert Doru is in Court, in the basement, in jail, Queen Tatiana knows where." I said to my "mentors", as that is what they are now, after they replaced my first, best, and unreplacable.

"Rose? How do you know that?" my mom asked. She didn't know about the ghosts, did she?

I wasn't finished with her. "Is Dimitri close?" she nodded. God, No!I wasn't ready!

"Will he be here soon?" she nodded.

"Thank you. You may go now," I said to the girl and she turned toward her friends and disapeared, as did they all. I faced my mother, "I can talk to ghosts. This girl, around fifteen, told me. It's because I'm shadow-kissed."

"Well, that solves the problem of where, but what else is there to do. We can't leave campus, Rose can't leave campus. She hasn't even settled back in yet."

"There's one more thing, dimitri is already here."

They started to protest, when I got nausous. Strigoi. It wasn't as bad, and I recognized where I felt this nausea before. In Novosibirsk.

"No. God no." I whimpered. I sank to my knees. I knew he'd be on my way, but I didn't expect it this soon. I got up and ran behind the bars of the gate, I sliid through easily, my heart skipped a beat when he stepped out of the tree line. Sun radiating off his skin. I Knew that face anywhere, and I could pick it up anywhere. He was alone, the only thing I wanted to do was embrace him.


	4. Chapter 4

There he stood. My own personal dark angel. Perfect, except, I couldn'y help but stand there shocked he was here. I knew he was coming, I knew what he looked like, but I couldn't say anything. It was too long, because in my eyes, Dimitri was the same Dimitri I loved when I first got to St. Vladimir's last fall.

My mother and Alberta slowly retreated to the gate. I opened it and walked forward, doing my best to keep myself together. I longed for him, but he longed for me in a different way. He wanted forever. I wanted a lifetime.

"Dimitri, I-" he cut me off.

"I think it is time I reteach a lesson, who should be my example?"he broke my gaze and gestured toward where my mother and Alberta stood. Inside the gate. Thank God!

"if you are going to do an example, it should be made out of me. I will not allow you to harm my mom or Alberta."

"Roza, that is not your decision to make."

"It's not a decision, it is path. Loved my gift by the way, very fitting, may I ask why you warned me of your arrival?"

"You may, and I warned you because I want to see you try to kill me. I wanted you to make that choice: come to me, or I go to you. You took to long to react, I didn't expect you to come to Guardian Petrov. . . and your mom. I thought you would come to me without a second thought."

"Well, you taught me well, a little too well. I took down fifty-three Strigoi while I was in Russia. Well, I think it is fifty-two with you taken off the list. You told me to trust people. there are people to trust, well I trust them, and I told them."

He looked at me. eyes showing anger, then eyed my fingers as I put them in my pocket and pulled out the necklace I had from the many gifts he gave me. There were many charms collected around it. The healing ring, Dimitri's golden ring, and other charms from all of the Strigoi I took down. I don't really remember doing it, it was a reflex thing. I wanted proof. I told him, "It wasn't about the marks, i did it because this world doesn't deserve to, to have evil creatures like you wandering around."

Realization struck me. The sun was up, how was he standing here, right now, in the middle of broad daylight?

"how are you standing here?"

"Ah," he chuckled, "another trick up my sleeve. This is not a real layer of skin, you could say it is a protective, stretchy layer of skin. Works great for day dealings."

I was standing there stunned. I regained my composure.

"Loved my present by the way, but how did you send it, if you couldn't touch it?"

"This skin. I can touch things I couldn't normally touch. I could probably walk right up to your dorm right now!" he stopped and grinned evily, "Not that I didn't do that already."

"You went to my room? That is pretty creepy. A little stalkerish, you know?"

Well, it was true and I didn't need to be polite.

"Why wouldn't I? How do you think I got that to the school without a postmark? You are to easy to fool Roza."

"Don't use that name. You can't use that name anymore! You used to but that was something the old Dimitri did. You. . . you just took the whole romantic part out of it!" I screamed. I couldn't stand to hear ir from him, with is voice cold, and dead of all emotion.

"Rose, don't be like that. I can here for a reason!" he said miserably, I almost went to comfort him, almost.

"Why are you here then?

"So you can kill me."


	5. Chapter 5

I was looking at him with the sadest eyes. I needed the truth, and there was one way to get it. I unclasped the necklace, taking off the spirit ring.

"Put it on." I ordered him while throwing him the ring. He obeyed.

"Why did you come here?"

"I love you, Rose, but I can't live like this anymore." He smiled an emotional smile, he expressed an emotion, that was an improvement.

"I love you too, Dimitri, but I have some good news, I can save you. I can return you to a you trust me?"

"Rose, I can't let you do that, you of all people know how much I hate to do that to you, to watch you suffer. I would love you to do that, for us to be together for a lifetime."

"I would suffer more, if you died," it was true, I spoke from the heart when I was near him, I just needed to stay calm a little longer, that ring wasn't going to last.

I couldn't stand it, being so close to him, in what seemed to be months, years. It had only been days. Days? Wow, I was really a love sick teenager. I ran up to him and kissed him, as passionately as I could. I heard a sharp intake of breath from Alberta and my mom. Strigoi or not, Dimitri was still Dimitri. He kissed me back, then things went bad.

He pushed me off, "Rose, no!" I fell to the floor, the ring wore off, damn. There goes my fun.

"Dimitri, can I have the ring back?" He took it off and threw it at me. He was angry. Not good!

"Rose, you have to kill me."

"Do you remember your life?"

He hesitated, "No, I just remember the cabin, and the cave." he said at last.

"Dimitri, look deep, remember our trainings, Spokane, Mason, remember Dimitri, remember!" I cried.

"I . . .I can't Rose. I remeber some of the trainings and some of our talks, I can't remember anything days before the cabin."

"We are making progress. Dimitri, listen to me, stay out of the sunlight. You have to promise me."

"I promise. I will be back Rose, don't worry. I will always be back. I can't abandon you, I promised you that." I remember, that day. I can never abandon youhe had said.

I watched him go silently. My mother and Alberta came from the safety of the wards. I didn't realize I was on my knees sobbing until they came over and pulled me up hastly pulling me to the front gate. I struggled against their grip and ran off, to the track. I needed to be in a comforting place. The track was perfect. I sat in the center of the field, Stan came out and started to do laps, smiling the whole time. Sitting there wasn't going to help anything, I hid behind some trees as Stan went behind a corner of the forest. Just as he was about to pass me I jumped on him and started to fight. I needed it, bad.

"Hathaway, what are you doing!" he shouted. Tears were running down my face.

"What does it look like? Fighting. I need some practice." he shut up, and started to fight, he was panting, and I was just starting.

"You need to always be prepared, Alto. Especially if your running and you get in a fight." I grinned. He got angry. I was coaching him!

"Shut it Hathaway." He landed a few blows, but I got him to the pavement in two minutes. I locked his leg, wrestler style. He couldn't move. He saw my necklace dangling.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Nothing. Just somethings I collected in Russia." I started to tuck it in my shirt, when he grabbed my wrist, and pulled it off of my neck.

"This is not something. I think I've seen this ring before. Yeah, I have. This used to be Dim-" I snatched it back. Understanding crossed his face. "You killed all of those?"

"Yeah, I did. You have a problem with it?" the old Rose leaking to the surface.

"In five weeks, wow Rose, that's like what ten a week?"

"Yeah, it is." I remembered my first kill there. The five in st. Petersburg. The two in Novosibirsk. I shuddered at the memory. Stan noticed.

"You should tell Alberta, they can give you molnija marks for this. How many are there?"

I did a brief count, "fifity even."

His eyes bulged. "You didn't count Dimitri's ring or that silver one."

"dimitri is still a Strigoi, and that silver one is my healing ring."

I never had this much of a pleasant conversation with Stan. "Dimitri's -"

"Still alive, I missed his heart," I finished before he could ask.

"Let's go find Alberta and get you to the molnija tattoo room."

He clasped the necklacce around my neck and shoved me in the direction of the novice dorms. He did not need to know I was just with Dimitri, and I didn't want him to know.


	6. Chapter 6

Stan led me to Alberta's office, and she was there, as was my mother. They were planning something, but as soon as they saw me, they put what looked like a map away.

"What are you-" Stan interupted me. Why is everyone interrupting me?

"Rose was in the gym, when I found her, and I noticed her necklace. There are fifty charms from fifty different Strigoi. She should recieve fifty molnija marks."

"That would be reasonable. Rose, is that what you wish?"

"It is. Though, is it possible to get them today, I don't want to wait. I don't want everyone to be there. Just you guys, Lissa, Christian, and Adrian, if you want to."

"Rose, I am sure that can be arranged. Why don't you go ask them. I will have it set up and find you around here somewhere. I know you haven't slept for a while, but we have to keep up trainings."

"Sure, I'll see you at six. Oh, and mom, you can tell Stan, he just can't tell anyone else." I turned toward him, "Got it, Alto?"

He nodded clearly scared. I smiled smugly, then faced my mom.

"What escape plan are you working on?" she looked at me shocked that I figured her out so soon. She looked nervous, and I didn't consider anything, except for the fact that they were trying to figure how to get to Robert Doru.

"We aren't working on an escape plan, Rose."

"Yeah right. I saw you looking at a map. You aren't-" They looked pained. Oh God. NO.

"You guys were trying to find Dimitri to kill him weren't you." They didn't need to answer me, I knew by the look on their faces. It said it all. Pity, Relief I was taking it well, which I wasn't I was furious, and Stan was just plain confused.

"You guys are going to regret this, catch Stan up." I left the room and headed to my dorm.

When I reached my door, I sank to my knees and just sobbed as hard as ever. The people I trusted were going to kill the only man I ever had, will, and am in love with. The knew what this was going to do to me.

"Rose? Rose, what's wrong?" a familiar voice said.

I looked up and saw Eddie approach me warily. He didn't want to get caught up in one of my moments.

"Hey Eddie, can you take me to Lissa?" I was surprised he was up, but when I looked out the window, they sky had gone dark, and I had to get to my training soon. I was sitting in the hall longer than I thought. God, this was embarassing.

He took me to Lissa, and I knocked on the door wiped of my recent tears. I looked pathetic, because when Lissa answered the door her thought were along the lines of who died? Great. Just what I needed.


	7. Chapter 7

"Lissa, I have having my molnija ceremony thing, and I was going to invite you, Christian, and Adrian. Want to come?"

"Sure, Rose, but that's not why your here. What's wrong."

I wanted to say.Dimitri's alive and really wants me to kill him, but he tells me that he wants to make me Strigoi. Alberta and my mom are going to kill him, before I could ever get a chance to hear him say that he loves me one last time, with those brown eyes I could swim in. "Nothing Liss. I will tell you after the ceremony."

I left the room before she said okay, or bye. She looked heart broken. I had to go to Christian next. Adrian was last on my list, I didn't want to face him, he still had romantic intentions with me. No way, not when spirit ring Dimitri was as passionate as he was when he was dhampir.

I walked down the corridor, my mind set on Olena and Viktoria. I missed them. They were my family, and I hoped they were all right.

I knocked on Christian's door, and he answered shocked. He just got out of the shower, and had wet hair; only in a pair of jeans with a towel over his shoulders hid his muscled body. He tried to shut the door in my face, but I was too quick and pushed it open.

"You can't get rid of me that easy, Ozera." I smiled an evil smile.

"What do you want, Rose? If it's about Lissa, just leave now, and stop wasting your time."

"Look, I haven't slept in over twenty-four hours, I killed fifty Strigoi, and I have as much homework as Adrian is going to get when he returns to college. What makes you think I would waste my time, talking to you about Lissa?" I was pissed now. I did not want to talk to Christian about Lissa.

He looked scared, like I was going to punch him.

"Sorry, Rose. What do you want?" he was eyeing my clenched fist.

"Well, before you so rudely got me angry, I was going to ask you to come to my molnija ceremony.

"I can't go, Rose." he said very sadly.

"Very fitting for you since you are a Strigoi lover, right?" I said angrily. He pissed me off, way past normal.

"Yeah, I guess your right, why are you going then? I heard you went after your Strigoi boyfriend. Is that true, Rose?"

Oh man, he was going to get it. I leapt on top of him and started to fight.

"Yeah, Christian, that's right. After I thought I killed him," I stressed the word killed, "I came back. Then, I got a letter, and it said he was coming to get me, because he was mad at me, me, for trying to kill him twice in one night." Tears were streaming down my face, and Christian stopped fighting and started to hug me.

"Rose, tell me everything."

"Okay, here goes. After that battle, when we were in the caves, Dimitri was launching a rescue mission, and we went in, we were ambushed after we got the capturers. He told me to run, and I ran. Dimitri was right behind me. I turned and saw him pinned down, by. . . by a. . ." I was sobbing into Christians chest as he held me tight," there was a blond Strigoi with his teeth to Dimitri's neck, I tried to get back, to save him, but Alberta and my mom held me back and told me to go, that he was dead now. There was no hope. I fell to my knees after we were safe in the wards.

"I couldn't take it, and after his funeral, on the day of my birthday, I gave Kirova my resignation forms, and left. Lissa and I had a fight by the gates. I told her I had to find him. I left the safety of the wards and met Mason's ghost, and he told me he was strigoi. I knew that he would be in Russia, and I Adrian set up an acount to help me get there. I wandered the streets, killing Strigoi as I went, taking thigs from them and adding them to this necklace. I met an alchemist, and she helped dispose of the bodies.

"I had a dream about Dimitri, and started saying Belikov in my sleep, and Sydney took me to Baia. I met Dimitri's family there, and told them of his death, since they didn't know. I went to his funeral again and told them the same thing I am telling you, basically. I told them that I loved him, and that he loved me, " Whops. "Forget I said that. Please. I haven't even told Lissa what happened. Oh, God. If she finds out I told you before her, she is going to kill both of us."

"Rose, stopped ranting. I understand. Just continue the story, it helps, trust me." god, again with the trust.

"Okay, so his family welcomed me, and invited me to stay, his grandmother, Yeva, took me to another Spirit user, and she bonded with this guy, Mark. I was shocked, and it was so cool, to meet someone that knew what I was going through. I told him I know four Spirit users, including his bondmate, Oksana. I couldn't believe it, and neither could he.

"After a while, I met this guy, Abe Mazur. Yeah, well he is my dad. I know, creepy right. Just don't tell anyone. Anyway, Viktoria, Dimitri's sister, had a boyfriend and was going to get pregnant, just like his sister, Sonya, did, and by the same person. Abe came in and his guardian stopped her, after I agreed to leave Baia. Viktoria was furious, and she kicked me out of her house, and I left, Yeva found me and told me to find Dimitri, not sit on a curb and cry. I did, I went with a group of unpromised dhampirs to Novosibirsk, and we killed many.

"I was trying to help a crazy old lady off of her back squirming like a turtle, when Dimitri found me and kidnapped me. He knocked me out, and then carried me to his makers house. I spent like ten days there, as his blood whore. I hated it, yet loved it. This cannot get out either. Adrian visited my dream, and saw the blood, I got out quickly before he could ask, and met Dimitri. I still loved him, even if he was a Strigoi. Once he left, I had to get out of here, before he turned me. I took the human maid, and broke a chair leg off. I staked Dimitri, watching the life go out of him, and got the maid to open both doors, before I knocked her unconscious. I met another human who took me to the vault where my silver stake was, and I staked Dimitri's 'queen'.

"Then dimitri was there, because it wasn't a silver stake that I stabbed him with. He watched me kill the woman he wanted to kill, and took two other Strigoi while I ran and miraculously found my way through a maze. I ran, and ran. He was getting close, and I hid in the forest. I jumped on him and ran away. I got to a bridge where I threatened to jump off the bridge because he wanted to make me one, and I asked him why, and he said it was because he wanted me, not that I loved him. I jumped, but he caught me, and threw me back to the pavement. I asked him again, and he said he wanted me. I remember saying I will always love you and then I staked him, but he moved just a little bit, and fell down to the rocks below."

I couldn't stop crying. Christian just looked at me with sad eyes, and I just wanted to comfort him.

"it's okay, Christian. So after I watched him fall, I called the alchemist, Sydney, and she sent someone to get rid of the body. I colapsed there, I guess and Abe took me to Oksana to heal me. Mark started talking about a fairy-tale,about how to return Strigoi to their human or dhampir form. After I was healed, Abe sent me here. The yesterday, I get a letter saying Rose, you forgot one of my lesson: Don't turn your back until you know your target is dead. We'll go over it next time. Until next time, D. I think that is how it goes. So, I ran to Alberta, and she and I ran to my mother. They want to kill him, and I want to save him. I have to.

"After I talked to my mother, I ran out of the gates, to talk to a ghost about where he was, so we could prepare, when out walks dimitri, in the middle of sunlight with a skin suit that can't have sun hurt him. I slipped on a ring Oksana gave me that heals and he can talk more dhampir than Strigoi. I asked him why he was here, and he said he wanted me to kill him-"

Christian stopped me, pressing his lips to mine. Oh, no way. Lissa is going to kill me.


	8. Chapter 8

Christian kissed me. No, tried to kiss me. I say tried because, well, I pushed him across the room, and stormed out.

"Ask Adrian to come too, if you don't mind."

"See you later, Strigoi lover." he called over the noise of the door. I was going to kill him. I swear I am.

I was fuming, I didn't even want to see adrian. When I went to my dorm, to get ready, Eddie was at my door.

"Eddie, don't ask if I'm fine, I am not fine, nor in the mood."

"Okay, Rose. Um, I'm gonna go then."

"Eddie, sorry. Um, bye then."

He left as I opened the door. There was a box on my desk. An envelope on top. Dimitri. I thought. NO. If Alberta finds out, there will be a serious red alert.

I opened the envelope.

Dear Rose,

I promised you a list of the reasonswhy you should date me. Here goes:

I am always there for you. Whenever you ask me to leave, I come back.

I truely have always loved you. I usually use compulsion on girls, but I don't on you, well except for that time you asked me.

Yes, I remember that. I remember every day we had. No, I am no stalker.

If this is not enough, open the box.

Love,

Adrian

I was actually laughing at this. I set it down and opened the box. There was a beautiful gown, scarlet with black and white roses on the waist and right side.

"Wow." was all I could say.

I totally did not deserve this. A note was on the bottom of the box.

Just a welcome back present. Hope to see you wear it soon. Can't wait to hear an answer.

I put it in the box.

After taking a shower, puting my hair in a pony tail, and putting on a green tank top and jeans, I ran from my dorm to Adrians. Who did I run into? That's right, I ran into Christian.

"Why are you here?" I asked him.

"By the look of you, same as you."

"Well, you can go now, I am going to ask him a question about spirit."

"Naw, I'll stay."

"I swear, one of these days I am going to punch you. Whether it's your fault or not, I will remember this moment and our last."

Adrian chose this time to open his door.

"Why, my little dhampir, what brings you here?"

"Would you like to come to my molnija ceremony? It's in fifteen minutes, I am sorry for the late notice, but since Christian here didn''t get here sooner, I came instead."

"I'll come. Did you like that letter?"

"what? Oh, yeah. I was cracking up the whole way through. Your answer is yes, by the way. I loved that dress too. Very beautiful."

"Perfect. I'll get ready and where should I go?"

"Lissa's dorm. I'm on my way right now. Well, I should go."

I left, after they called bye. When I reached Lissa's dorm, she ushered me in. Fury was waving from her side of the bond.

"what is this between you and Christian? He told me you guys kissed! Rose!"

Crap. I was going to kill him.


	9. Chapter 9

"Woah, woah, woah. I didn't kiss him, I pushed him off of me. Really Liss.

"What? Rose, how could he?"

Should I tell her I told him everything? I can't, I'll tell her after. "I'll tell you after the ceremony. they are all meeting here, then we'll leave. Do not say anything in front of them. I already want to kill Christian, don't make me want to kill you too." I smiled.

"alright." There was a knock at her door. Christian and Adrian stood there.

Adrian was in a yellow polo and black shorts. I almost laughed, he looked like Charlie Brown. Ha.

Christian was in a black graphic tee, that said 'Sucks to be you'. He had jeans on. dressed up much?

"Let's not wait. Come on." I said. I was already out the door. Lissa laughed nervously and followed. The boys walked behind her, whispering furiously.

I led them to Alberta's office. Alberta was waiting for me, and looked at the group behind me, and did not seem suprised. I didn't blame her. it wasn't very exciting.

"Let's do this, Alberta." she cleared her throat. opps, "I mean, Guardian Petrov."

"Christian stifled a giggle with a cough, I shot him a glare. He shut up.

"Follow me, Rose, Princess, Ozera, Ivashkov." she left not caring if we followed or not. I led the way, right behind Alberta.

I was nervous. Don't get me wrong, I was excited, but getting fifty tiny lightning bold x's on your back was pretty exciting, yet boring. I was going to sit there for god knows how long, in a chair on my stomach. Not the most comfortable position. It was going to hurt like hell too. Two hurt enough, but there was no way I could leave my hair down, and wash it the next couple of days without getting burned.

Alberta broke my train of thought.

"Miss Hathaway, do you expect another visit tonight?" I didn't need her to tell me it was about Dimitri.

"I highly doubt it. He wouldn't risk it."

I felt curiousity coming from Lissa through the bond.

I continued, "Don't say anything until I tell the valuable one. You know who." Alberta nodded, she knew I meant Lissa.

What aren't you telling me, Rose? I will get an answer from you, whether or not it's the last thing I do. I winced, I really hoped it wasn't the last thing she did. Not if my heart was still beating.

"I'll answer you soon enough, Liss." Alberta opened the doors. The tattoo guy was sitting there with three, large bottles of black ink. Great.

"This is gonna hurt in the morning, isn't it?" I asked him.

He smiled apollegetically, "Everyone's body reacts differently."

"Yeah, right. I bet they paid you to say that." I grinned.

I sat down and draped my hair over my face. I sat there as he turned on the needle. I concentrated on the buzz. When it touched my skin I bit my lip, but I couldn't feel anything. Weird.

When he was through the first bottle of ink, he moved onto the second, and on the thirty-seventh tattoo, chaos erupted.

The door swung open, and there standing in the doorway, was my angel, my love. Dimitri.

Stan, Alberta, and my mother, shoved the Moroi behind them. Out of my peripheral vision, I saw my mom grab her stake, and shift Lissa over to where Alberta was. I had to act.

I jumped up, and stood in front of Dimitri. My mother was suprised that I did this, as was Alberta, but Stan just stood there shocked. That's when the other came in. All holding a stake and advancing towards me.

Shit. This is going to be a miracle.

"Stop!" I screamed. I was fierce, and I wasn't gonna cry.

"Rose, no. He is Strigoi, and we are dhampirs."

"Wait. Listen to me. I know how to get the old Guardian Belikov, and that involves going to Victor Dashkov's house. Let him tell you about it."

I took the ring out of my pocket, I had Lissa put more magic into it. She put as much as she could. I gave it to him, and he slipped it onto his finger.

"Dimitri, tell them how to restore a Strigoi soul."

Dimitri looked confused for a second, then understood what I was trying to tell him. Lie. Lie to get them away from here.

"Well," he started, "Robert Doru, Victor dashkov's half brother, is a spirit user, and he knows how to restore life to a Strigoi. It has been done many times before, mainly between Moroi and their turned strigoi. It is possible, and in order for Rose and I to be together, she needs to become Strigoi or I become dhampir once more."

Stan emerged from the back of the crowd. I looked around for a safe place for Dimitri to escape. there was a window, just three feet to the left.

"Dimitri," I said low enough for only him to hear, "when Stan attacks you are to go through the window, and leave. I will meet you at the cabin in three days."

I barely saw him nod, when Stan lept at us. I pushed him back, before feeling a sharp pain in my side. I faintly heard glass crash in the background when darkness evaded me and I smelt the rusty smell of blood.


	10. Chapter 10

The pain was dying down and all I thought was, I won't be able to meet Dimitri in three days! I am dying!

"Rose, wake up!" I heard my mother shout.

"God, Janine, no reason to yell!" I said, then I opened my eyes to see my mother, Stan, and Alberta looking at me furious.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Stan shouted.

"You can't kill Dimitri. I told you that!" I shouted.

"Rose! You let him escape and you nearly got staked my Stan! If Stan hadn't noticed you were trying to get Dimitri away, you would have been dead." my mom shouted/

"Fuck off, Mom. Since when did you care?" I said, angry.

I tried to sit up but felt pain in my side. I looked down to see a bandage. Great, just what I need to slow me down.

"Rose, you are not going to save him. Why would you?"

I am going to tell them. I have to. They have to know everything, from that night in Dimitri's room with the amulet to the night in the cabin, to Russia.

"Get Lissa. I am going to tell you exactly what happened since we came back to now. Got it? Get Lissa, I promised her this." My mom started to leave.

"Oh! And if you know what's good for him, you will not get Christian. You can get Adrian though." She nodded and left.

"Well, that was a ceremony for the record books, huh?" I said, lightening the atmosphere. Nothing worked. They looked at me with hatred in their eyes.

After five minutes of a stare down, Lissa came back with Adrian and my mother behind her.

"Take a seat, go ahead. You might want some popcorn. This is a good story. You will love it!" I said, smiling.

Lissa took a seat by the door. Adrain next to her, and the guardians stood next to the windows.

"Alright, Lissa, I am sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I only told this story twice. Well, part of the story twice. And different parts." I took a deep breath.

"Who did you tell?" Lissa interrupted before I could continue.

"Well, I told Dimitri's family when I was in Russia, but that was just the parts of the battle at school five weeks ago. Another person I told, which, Lissa, I didn't mean to, I didn't even tell the whole story to him. It was a spur of the moment thing. I just got mad and attacked Christian and started to kick his ass, telling him that he doesn't know what it's like to think you kill someone you love. I was crying and he just held me while I told him what happened in Russia. I'm sorry, Lis." I said, whispering. She heard me, and was angry, but tried to cover it up.

"So, you said that you were going to tell the story from the beginning, from the very beginning? Well, get started." My mother said. I was pissed at her, like usual.

"Alright, but I swear to God, if you interrupt, I will stop the story and skip all the details. You sure you don't want popcorn?" I laughed. They all looked at me like I was crazy. "Oh, and before I continue, how long was I out for?"

"Three hours," Alberta said, absent from any emotion.

"Alright, that should be fine. Anyway, it all started when I was training. I started to go to trainings just to see Dimitri and just to prove to him that I could keep up to his trainings. I started to get complimented more and I started to like him even more. He would smile a dazling smile whenever I beat him, he would-"

"Rose, get on with the story." Stan said, disgusted. I smiled and blushed.

"Anyway, when we went shopping with Lissa and Natalie, before she was Strigoi, I saw a necklace, but it was too much. Adrian bought it, and put a lust charm on it. I put it on the night Lissa was kidnapped and, don't judge, I had to see Dimitri. I had to. I didn't know there was a spell on it at first. He opened the door and attacked me. I mean attack as in almost had sex attack. After we were almost naked, Dimitri seemed to snap out of it an pull the necklace off and throw it out the window. We both broke apart immediately. I couldn't contact Lissa through the bond during that time, so I didn't know she was gone. Dimitri notified you guys she was gone and we didn't speak about anything that happened that night.

"I followed Lissa through the bond and told Dimitri where to turn and when. Christian snuck in the back seat and when Dimitri told me to wait, Christian came out. He said that we needed to find you, Lissa. He went in broad sunlight, and tried to get to you. The psi-hounds came and they tried to attack you, but I held as many as I could off. You know the rest. Anyway, skipping ahead. In Spokane, at the ski lodge. When Tasha him to be her guard, I was devastated. I couldn't imagine trainings without him. I went to this balcony and I saw Dimitri there. He was always there for me, even if I was just around the corner, but when I was in trouble, he was the first to get to me. He always was, and just like he said, 'I will never abandon you,' I could never abandon him.

"When we had our suspicions about the Strigoi in Spokane, I told Mason. He took some of the Moroi with him, and they left. I took Christian with me and we got passed the gates. I couldn't tell anyone. I was mad at Dimitri for hanging out with Tanya all the time. I was going to tell him, but I couldn't. I thought you all would be disappointed in me. I couldn't have that. I left, and we found the Strigoi lair. We met up with Mia and Eddie and Mason. Then, we were attacked. They knocked us out and put us in the basement. I was hoping Dimitri would figure out where we went, what happened to us. I was trying to communicate with him, somehow. I didn't know where we were. I was freaked. Then, they started to feed off of Eddie and tried to feed off of me, but Mason tried to get them to feed off of him. They just kept feeding off of Eddie, and he got weaker and weaker. We planned our escape, then. I did, really. The Strigoi gave us a choice. If one of the Moroi came and fed off of one of the Dhampir till they became Strigoi, they would let that one live, but everyone else would die.

"Christian got my message, and he said he wanted to feed off of me, so he came over and started to 'feed' when he really was burning off the plastic handcuffs. It looked so real that the guards that were down there didn't even think of calling their 'masters.' I attacked them and we tried to leave, but when we got to the main floor, the Strigoi were there, and they tried to kill me and Mason. I told Mason to take them all out of here and get Dimitri. Tell Dimitri where we are, so they know that I was dead. They left, and I faced the two Strigoi alone. Once I was dealing with the girl, Mason came back and the guy went to him and killed him. Just snapped his neck like it was a twig," I was crying now, and when Lissa and my mother came over to me, I shook my head and they went back to where they were, "I was so mad at them for killing my friend, my best guy friend.

"I killed the girl first, in rage. Mia came back and used water to suffocate the guy. I just finished the girl when the guy regained consciousness. He came after me, and I killed him. I ran to Mason and started crying. I told him I was sorry, I blamed it all on me. If I hadn't of told them, they wouldn't be here. Mia started to tell me to leave. We had to leave, but I told her to leave us alone. Go find the others. She left then, and I cried. It was all my fault. Then, the guardians came. Dimitri was the one that came up to me. He told me, 'It's okay. Everything's going to be okay. You can drop the sword.' But, I couldn't. He engulfed me in the most warming, comforting hug he ever gave me. I felt fine, for the first time in probably an hour.

"I was still sad. He called me Roza when he cared. He called me Roza when he tried to comfort me. He called me Roza when we-" I stopped, looking down and blushing. New tears streaked my face. "He called me Roza that day. He called me Roza to get me to come with him. I did, without complaint. When we were on the plane, I was talking to Mia. She tried to cheer me up, but nothing did. On the ceremony, when Dimitri held my face, I felt warm for the first time in days. I was starting to get happy. I just looked into his chocolate brown eyes and knew he was proud of me, even if I did make a mistake.

"I heard that Dimitri declined Tasha's offer, and I was so happy. I asked him why, Tasha was so into him and could give him kids and a family. He said he couldn't. He couldn't return the feelings when his heart belonged to someone else. I told him that he kept telling me I was young. But, he said, you act young because you are young, but you know things. You get me, he said. He said that Tasha doesn't get him. She was only in a relationship with him because he wanted to forget me, just like I did with Mason. He said it was wrong for us to be together, because of the age difference and because we were both going to be Lissa's guardians. I told him, we aren't Lissa's guardian's yet, and his only response was, to kiss me.

"When I was sleeping, my guard was down. So, when Lissa and Christian started, well, I'm not going to say it, but you know what I'm talking about, Lis." She blushed, "It was gross. I was having 'dreams' about Christian all the time. I couldn't get out of only way I could get out of them was to think of 'this is cheating on Dimitri.' That woke me up instantly. I didn't want to say anything because I wanted Lissa to be happy, and I didn't want her to know how much she was keeping me up at night. The only thing I wanted for my birthday was freedom. Freedom to love who I wanted, and freedon to make my own choices. Dimtri showed his soft, caring side when he was with me.

"We were talking about Siberia when Alberta interupted out conversation about feild experience times. He was going to wish about something, but I never got to hear it. I always wondered what he wanted from Siberia, but I think I know. I think he wished his sisters, his mother, his Grandmother, Yeva. Who wouldn't miss them? They were amazing. Anyway, back to the story. When I left the bushes, after Dimtri gave me his keys, I saw Mason. Well, the ghost of Mason. I was petrified. I kept telling myself it was fake, I was imagining it, but I should have paid attention to what he was trying to say. He was trying to tell me the wards were weak.

"I started to do field experience with Christian, and when we were first attacked, Mason appeared, and that's when I lost it. That's when I was 'attacked' by Strigoi Stan. Yeah, thanks for the yelling, by the way, I was totally scared out of my wits already. Mason pointed to the other end of campus, but I didn't know what it meant. I kept seeing Mason's ghost. Then we went to court, and the psychic lady said that Dimitri would loose what he values most, and that, I didn't know until later, was his soul. His reason to live. I saw all those ghosts on the plane because I am shadow kissed. They were warning me. Just remember about the ghosts and no wards thing. That comes later. We got back and I thought the wards were weak, but Dimitri checked and they were changed a few days ago. I couldn't find another way to think I saw Mason. It had to be his ghost.

"Then, days went by and there was that group that tried to get Lissa to use her magic, to torture her. I started to suck out all her negative emotions, and it put me in a trance. I ATTACKED DIMITRI! I snapped out of my trance as soon as I realized what we were doing. I panicked and started to apologize. Dimitri and I were just kissing in that cabin, you know where? Yeah, well, I started kissing him, and he started kissing me, and one thing led to the next, and clothes came off and we made love. That was my first time, and I never thought it would be in a cabin in the woods, but it didn't matter where, it mattered as to who you were with." My mom looked ready to rip my head off. "I promised him I would never let anything happen to him, and he promised the same to me.

"Mom, please, this is where it was torture." I took a deep breath, knowing what was next. "We got dressed and started to head back. I got neausiated, which happened whenever there were Strigoi around. I told Dimitri that there were Strigoi, and they attacked. There were at least twenty, and they were fighting Dimitri with only him on his own. He told me to run and get to Stan. Tell him buria. I ran after hesitating. I couldn't leave him, to his death, but he made me go. I ran to you, Stan. I started to tell you, then I just said buria. You ran off and I went to tell everyone else. I couldn't stand it. Not knowing whether the love of my life was dead or alive. I was petrified.

"We started to fight. Christian was missing, and I had to find him. He was my responsibility as my feild practice. I got halfway there when Christian was right behind me. I almost staked him. He didn't know what was happening, so I told him. Then Strigoi attacked us and Christian lit their heads on fire. Once they were dead, we went hunting for them. The fire users should have helped some of the guardians. Once their head was in flames, you could easily stake them. They would never have known.A blonde one said that he knew me from two years ago, that he was going to get Lissa. We killed a whole lot of them, and I had to find more, Dimitri said that there weren't anymore, and I turned and was so happy he was alive. He said what Christian and I did was one of the most amazing things he had ever seen. Half of the one's we were standing by were mine.

"We went back to the dorms and Eddie was gone. We launched a rescue mission. We went in and got the people out. We were ambushed. Dimitri told me to run." I was sobbing. I could barely get the words out, "I ran and Dimitri was right behind me. I turned, not hearing his footsteps. He was down. The blonde strigoi that talked to me earlier, he had him and he started to drink. I stood, horrified. Dimitri told me that if he would never want to be a Strigoi, that if he did, he wanted me to kill him. That's why I went to Russia. I tried to go back, to save him, but Stan, Alberta, and mom held me back. They told me to run, there was no hope. He was dead. I couldn't believe it. He couldn't be dead. Dimitri told me that he'd rather die than see me dead, so I ran. I ran until we were safe in the wards.

"I went to the chapel. I stayed there. I felt safe, but not as safe as when Dimitri was around. Lissa woke me up and said that they still have five hours till they can go. I couldn't wait that long. Then, I had an idea. I yelled at Lissa. I told her, if he's dead, you can bring him back, shadow kissed. She said she couldn't. I yelled at her, again, I said exactly this, 'ou'd let him die? You wouldn't so this? YOu wouldn't do this for me? I would do anything for you. You know that, And you wouldn't do this for me?' Then, I think she realizeed what I felt for Dimitri, it wasn't just a student-teacher bond. It was something infinately more precious. Yeah, I can use big words, too." Tears were streaming down my face.

"They brought the dead back, but Dimitri wasn't one of them, neither was Molly. I felt as though I was dead. I ran out of the wards and called Mason, I asked him if he was alive or dead, and he shook his head. I was horror struck. I asked him, not believing I was saying this. Dimitri was a Strigoi. That's when I knew what Rhonda was talking about. She said, you will lose what you value most. It hadn't been me, as he thought it was. It was his soul."

I was sobbing uncontrollably. I put my hands to my face and my knees to my chest. I didn't care about the pain in my side. I didn't care. I went to Adrian about a week later and he set up an account for me to use while I was gone. He was the only one that knew where I was going. I didn't care, I had to find Dimitri. I signed my forms to leave, and gave them to Kirova that morning of my birthday. My birthday wasn't anything to see celebrated if there was no one I wanted to celebrate with that could come on campus. I just wanted Dimitri for my birthday, but I knew it wasn't going to happen.

"Adrian wanted me to give him a chance when I come back. I never knew if I would. It wasn't an honest answer, but a necissary one, I'm sorry, Adrian. I told him I would. I didn't know if I was coming back alive. I handed my paper's to Kirova and told her I was withdrawing. I went to find Dimitri, but Lissa ran into me before I could leave. She wanted to know why I never told her I loved Dimitri, I couldn't. I told her that if we both had to protect her, we couldn't be together. She was guilty, but still mad. She kept trying to get me to stay with her, that I can just stay here and forget about all of it. I told her that I promised him, not in words, but I promised him in my heart. She tried to use compulsion on me to stay!" I was shouting now, I was so angry, yet tears were streaming down my cheeks. I looked at Lissa, and she was shaking her head, crying too.

"She accused me of loving him more than her, and at the time she was right. It still is. I love him, Lissa. I love him in ways I don't love you. I love him with all my heart. You and I, are love is sisterly. I just think that the love of your life is more powerful than a sisterly bond. I yelled at her and gavee her the chotki back. I wasn't her guardian anymore, I couldn't be if I was dead or a Strigoi. I- I walked away. My soul was already in peices, but doing that to her just tore it up even more. As soon as I left, I saw Mason's ghost. He moved on, and I knew where he would be. He would be in his home. He would be in Russia.

"I wandered the streets, killing Strigoi as I went. Taking little trinkets like these as I went." I said pulling off my necklace and throwing them at Lissa. She caught them and looked at all of them. I met an alchemist, Sydney. She helped dispose of the bodies as I went. I met Abe Mazur, and I found out later that he was my dad. I dreamt of Dimitri and I said Belikov in my sleep. I woke up in Baia. I met Dimitri's family and they welcomed me with open arms. They didn't know of his death, since no one here felt it neccisarry to inform them. I went to his funeral, again, and I heard stories of when he was a kid. I told them of the battle and what happened to him. They figured it out right away. They knew I loved him and that he loved me, too.

"His family told me I could stay, and I did. Yeva, his crazy, psycopathic grandma, pretended to only speak Russian so I couldn't talk to her. He took me to Oksana, another spirit user, who bonded with Mark. Yeah, did I mention she had me carry garden bricks the whole way? Like I said, crazy, but I liked her. Oksana made Mark shadow-kissed and they were married. I told him I knew four spirit users, including his bondmate. I couldn't believe it, and neither could he.

"Viktoria, Dimitri's sister, had a boyfriend who got his sister, Sonya, pregnant. He was going to get Vik pregnant, too, and I tried to stop her, but Abe said that if I left town, he would stop Vik and that guy. I agreed, and Abe's guardian left and got rid of the guy. Viktoria came out, furious. She kicked me out of her house, well I left, because I couldn't take the guilt. Yeva found me crying on a curb. She told me to find Dimitri, not sit on a curb and cry. Yeah, that bitch said it in English. Ugh, I was so pissed at her. She had a dream about me killing him, and she was sorta psychic. She saw me coming, blah, blah, blah.

"I went with a few unpromised guardians to Novosibirsk and I killed with them. That's what they did, they went to cities and killed as many Strigoi as they could. I would question as many as I could, but they didn't know Dimitri, so I killed them. We finally met one who knew Dimitri. We let him go and he ran off and told Dimtri. The group went to a club, but some crazy old lady was on her back, squirming like a turtle. I told them to go ahead in, that I would follow in a minute. I went to help the lady, but I felt neauseas. I turned to face it, when I saw Dimitri. I froze. He knocked me out and drug me off to his house. I spent days there. I was his blood whore, I guess you could say. We didn't have sex, he just fed off of me. He wanted to change me, but I refused. I stalled, saying I needed time, when I really was figuring out how to escape.

"I loved it, when he bit me. I felt so happy, and loved. I hated it at the same time. This cannot get out, no matter what. Adrian visited my dreams and saw the blood and the puncture marks. He thought I went to a blood whore place. I told him to leave me alone, and I hadn't seen him in my dreams for days. I was scared, because I didn't know what to do, I was stuck in a room with vaults as doors. I still loved him, even if he was Strigoi. I had to get out of there, before he turned me. I broke a leg off of a chair and staked Dimitri when he came back. I watched the life leave him for the first time, and I took the human maid. She helped me get through the two vaulted doors, and then I knocked her unconscious. I met another human who took me to the vault with all the Moroi magic in it. There was my silver stake, or someone's silver stake. I asked him where the door was, and he led me to the library, where Dimitri's 'queen' was. I staked her. Dimitri was going to kill her after I changed anyway.

"Dimitri was there and saw what happened. Because I didn't stake him with a silver stake, he healed. He started to kill two other Strigoi. I jumped out the window and sprained my ankle. I put my healing ring on, and it helped. There was a maze in the front of the house, and I miraculously managed to get out. Dimitri was behind, following me. I ran and ran, but he was getting closer. I ran to the woods. I hid in a tree. He was right underneath me when I jumped on him and fought him. I ran when he was down and got to a bridge. I knew I wasn't going to escape it alive. He was there in seconds. I threatened to jump if he didn't say the right words. I asked him why he wanted to make me Strigoi. If he would have answered right, I would have probably gave up and given myself to him. He said, he wanted to turn me because he wanted me. That was all he ever answered with when I asked him. I jumped, but he caught me. I asked him again, when he threw me on the pavement.

"He said, because I want you. I looked him in the eye for the last time. I said I will always love you then I staked him, the second time that night. Just before he fell, he said, 'That's what I was supposed to say...' He figured it out. Just before he jumped and said he wanted me, I said, 'wrong answer' He knew what he had to say, and I think if I asked him again, he would say because he loved me. I just watched him fall into the rocks below the bridge. I felt as though there was no reason to live anymore. But my mind told me that the old Dimitri would have wanted me to go on with life, even if that meant never falling in love again.

"I got a ride back to the city and called Sydney. I told her that there was another body she had better deal with. She sent someone to pick me up. It was some guy. I must have fell asleep, because I saw Abe's face. Oksana healed me from my injuries, but I was still bruised. I got some feeling from Lissa with Avery. God, I hate that girl. She was controlling Lissa into killing herself. I told Oksana that Lissa was in trouble and she said, what is wrong. I said, Lissa is going to get killed or hurt or whatever. I had to get back. Oksana and I did this double Spirit thing. She went into my mind, like mindreading, and I went into yours. I saw Lissa, about to jump. I told her how to fight, and it didn't really work out well, but it worked. Avery bonded with like two people. Her brother and her guard.

"After that, I got on a plane and we went back to the Academy. Adrian met me and I said, 'I have never been happier to see you in my life.'" I laughed. "I met my mom at the school and she gave me a hug. I loved Olena Belakova, that was Dimitri's mom, but she wasn't my real mom. She was my temporary mom, I guess you could say, while I was gone. Anyway, I was going back to my room with Lissa and the lady was standing there with a packet, ready to give to me. She handed it to me and I opened it. The stake, the stake I stabbed Dimitri with, the stake I thought I killed the love of my life, rolled out and landed at my feet. There was a not, and it said," I pulled it out of my pocket. "It said, You forgot another lesson: Never turn your back until you know your enemy is dead. Looks like we'll have to go over the lesson again the next time I see you-which will be soon. Love, D.

"Lissa didn't know what was going on. I asked her if she still wanted to be with me, by my side, whenever I went off again. She said yes. Then, after that conversation, I kept rereading the note. She left, eventually, and I pulled myself together. I grabbed the stake and the note and ran to Alberta's office. I threw them at her and told her to read them, well yelled at her, really. After she read it, we ran to my mother. They wanted to kill him, when I wanted to save him. I have to save him. When I was in Russia, Mark was talking about some old legends about returning a Strigoi to their former state. It was someone by the name of Robert Doru, Victor's half brother." Lissa looked scared. "I know where he is, and I think we can get to him. I ran out of the gates and tried to panic. See, when ghosts come, it is when I panic, and Strigoi really don't like ghosts. The ghosts kinda attack them but don't get hurt. The Strigoi are like super freaked out by them. Anyway, I couldn't panic, so I attacked Alberta, then my mother, then back to Alberta and so forth until I could panic.

"I asked the ghost where Robert was and she said at the court in the bastment of Victor's house. The queen knows why. They left and then out walks Dimitri in the middle of the sunlight. He had on this protective layer of skin that makes the sun not burn him. I threw Oksana's healing ring that I had Lissa power up at him and he put it on. When he had the ring on, he talks more like dhampir Dimitri than Strigoi Dimitri. That is how I knew he was telling the truth. I asked him why he was here and he said that he wanted me to kill him. I kissed him, just like I did so many times in Russia. He kissed me back, except the ring wore off and he pushed me off of him. He left. Then, at the ceremony, he came. I had to protect him. I had to, because he loves me, and I love him. Do you understand that now!" I yelled.

I finished it. They very long story. Everyone was still here. Lissa was sobbing into Adrian's chest. My mother and Alberta had tears running down their face, and Stan looked gried sticken. They looked shocked that I finished.

"You can't kill him. You can't." I whispered. I started to cry all over again, and Lissa came over and hugged me fiercly. I hated crying. I couldn't remember crying so much in my life.


	11. Chapter 11

Hopefully, they understood why I couldn't kill him. Love makes you do impossible things, like slamming a revolving door. It was impossible to convince people, who only see things one way, to do things the other.

I let go of Lissa. She looked a little hurt.

"Do you guys understand know? After everything I've been through, if there is even the slightest chance that I can save, I knew he would want it. I know it! I have to find Robert and get him to help. I don't care what he wants, I am going to get him to help Dimitri, God DAMNIT!" I said, then finished yelling.

My mom and Alberta wiped off their tears. No one said anything, no one even dared to.

"Do you understand?" I whispered. I knew they could hear me, because I whispered pretty loud.

"Rose, I know what you are going through-" my mother began.

"No, you don't. You don't know at all." I said, cutting her off.

"Rose, then help me understand." She pleaded.

"Un-fucking believable. I just poured my heart out and you don't understand. I think it's simple. I risked my life to kill him, multiple times, and when I find out I can save him, you want to kill him because you don't want to take a risk! I think that's what makes a true guardian, risking your life to save someone you care about, right? Well, I am going to risk my life to save Dimitri, and you can't stop me." I tried to get up, not caring if I was in pain, but my mother and Stan held me down.

"Rose, you can't do this to me. Just because I wasn't in your life, doesn't mean that I don't have any control over you. I know your hurting, but you can't go back out there to save Belikov."

I ground my teeth together, "I can and I will."

My mother looked frightened, she took a step back and I had enough power to get out of Stan's grip and out of the hospital room before they could even act. I noticed Lissa still crying. She was talking to me in her bond.

Why can't you just give up, Rose? Why do you have to get yourself killed for him? What about me? What about me? Why is he some much more important than me? He is dead, Rose, he is dead! I know you don't want to believe it, but he is as good as dead.

It was exactly what she said when I first left. 'What about me?'

I stopped and spun around.

"Lissa, sometimes, you aren't the center of the universe. I'm sorry, but sometimes I come first, and right now, I have to do this for someone else, not me. It's always about you, Lissa, always, and you know it. They always tell us in training, 'they come first,' but sometimes, they are wrong, and people you love come first." I said, quietly. I knew she heard because I felt anger and betrayal in the bond. "And I love Dimitri, because he never forced me to choose sides. He always gave me a choice, even when he was a Strigoi." I said, and I knew it struck a chord with her, and I knew I was lying a bit, because he did give me orders, but I always had a choice whether to follow them or not, and I always did, not wanting to disappoint them. "So, I am going to get Dimitri back, even if you try to stop me, Lissa. And, he isn't dead. That is just what him family thinks too, and I can't deal with you being fake too, Lis."

I ran out of the wing and into the dormitory building. When I got to my room, I locked my door and ran straight to the shower. I turned it on and walked in, not bothering to take my clothes off. I just sat down and let the water soak my clothes. I took the note out of my pocket and set it on a dry ledge. It was almost unbearable, the pain I was feeling. I heard a knock on my door. I didn't acknowledge it, until there were more and they got louder.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" I yelled. They knocking immediately stopped, and I thought they finally gave up, until I heard it again. I reluctantly got up and walked to the door, sopping wet. I opened it to find Lissa, with red puffy eyes and mascara running down her face. As soon as she saw me, she gasped. Yeah, I had to look that bad.

"Thanks for making me feel better." I said, sarcastic, and just went back to the shower, leaving the door open. I turned the water off and just sat down.

Lissa came in a moment later and saw me. She tutted her tounge and sat next to me.

"Rose, I'm sorry. I just- I don't know." She admitted at last.

"I don't want to hear it, Lis." I said. I wiped my eyes. Somehow, that action seemed to be greater than it actually was.

"Rose, I will help you find Robert. I will." Lissa said.

"No, you just want to do it because you feel bad, Lissa. I can feel it in the bond. I won't let you. You may have promised, but I am going to have to break your promise. You won't do it because you care, you are going to do it because you feel guilty." I said.

"Rose, I know that's what the bond says, and that is what I am thinking, but a promise is a promise, I go with you wherever you go. I can call the queen and ask if I can come for a day to see if I can see Mia or something. You can get Robert and I can get Mia, for appearance sake. When your done, I'll meet you at the plane after an hour or so."

I shook my head. "No Lissa. No."

She was going to argue, but I just got up and left my room.

She followed me.

"You want to be useful, Lissa?" She nodded. "Find out what Alberta and Stan and the rest of the guard want to do if they find Dimitri. Find out if they are going to kill him or if they are going to hold him down enough for me to get to him. I have to at least talk to him."

"I can try." she said.

"And if they don't want to save him, I don't care what you do. But, try to make them see my way. Try to get them to understand. You know what it's like. I mean, Christian just totally walked out on you for something that wasn't your fault. Just talk to them. No, compulsion. I know you. You would do anything to get them to follow what I do, even if you don't like it. You did once, but no more. I can't take the side effects when you use your magic for too long. Who knows who I'll attack this time. Maybe Dimitri again, and this time, he'll have to kill me, just like I begged him to do before."

"You wanted to die?" She whispered, horrified. I nodded.

"When I was in Novosibirsk, and Dimitri found me, he said he would turn me. I told him I didn't want to be a monster like him, and he said that it was great, not what he expected. He felt powerful. The old Dimitri, he wouldn't care about power. I want the old Dimitri back, Lis. I need him back. I mean look at me, I'm an emotional reck." I said, gesturing to myself. "He refused to kill me unless I did something to really piss him off. I staked him, twice. I even sent a swarm of ghosts on him, on the bridge. He still wouldn't. That's why I jumped. If he wouldn't kill me, I had to do it myself."

"Oh, Rose! I had no idea!" She pleaded.

"Yeah, well you know now. If you want to do something for me, for once, go ask them what they want to do. They say something like, 'Rose is right. Maybe if we help her, get Guardian Belikov back, I mean, maybe she will be back to normal. She refuses to be my guardian, anyones guardian, until she gets Belikov back.' Because, Lissa. I won't be anyone's guardian until I get Dimitri back. I won't even be yours. I'll just be like an unpromised guardian and go to Russia to be with the others, if Denis, Tamara, Lev, and Artur are still alive that is. Hell, maybe I could visit Dimitri's family, my family, while I'm out there. You tell them that."

She looked like she was going to cry, but nodded. She ran off into the direction of Alberta's office. I went back to my room and sat on my bead. I went into her head and saw what she was seeing.

Lissa was running to the Head of the Guardian's office. She looked in to see Stan, Alberta, and my mother leaning in and talking quietly. She knocked on the door once and they looked at her, shock evident in their eyes.

"Lissa, what are you doing here?" Alberta asked, speaking for the group.

"I wanted to know what you thought you should do, with Guardian Belikov and Rose?" Lissa asked, a little scared of what she was about to hear.

"We were just talking about it. Come, join us."

Lissa sat on the floor, next to my mother.

"I don't think Rose should go. It is just a stupid crush, he is dead to us now. He is dead to his family. You heard her, his grandmother wanted her to kill him." Stan said.

"Wait, can I say something?" Lissa asked. Stan nodded.

"Rose is right. She refuses to become anyone's guardian until she get's him back." Lissa said. I smiled. "She won't even be mine. I ran into her down the hall, and she told me to tell you that. She said, 'You are going to loose your best guardian, and then you'll all be in trouble when history repeats itself.'"

Wow, Lissa had skill. That was a pretty good lie.

"What do you mean, loose her?" Janine asked.

"She is going to become an unpromised guardian and go back to Russia to kill random Strigoi on the streets with some of her friends she met there. Unpromised friends, too."

Janine gasped and her eyes filled with tears. "She really does love him, doesn't she. She is willing to give up you, Lissa, for him. She is willing to loose her mother, for him. She is willing to be in Russia,-"

"Baia, to be certain. She made sure to tell me she was going to Baia." Lissa said, cutting her off.

"She is going to be in his birthplace, just to remember him."

"She said she was going to visit Dimitri's family, her family. She said, they care about me as though I was their own."

Okay, she needed to stop talking now. She needs to stop. She is more like pleading with them than anything else. They are going to get suspicious.

"I don't want to help her!" Stan said.

"I can't loose her to be some unpromised guardian, that could get killed! She has way too much talent for that." Alberta said, "I will help her."

I almost wanted to jump for joy. Three on my side. Heck, it's four. My dad is on my side, too.

"Dimitri taught her everything. She was totally helpless when we were on the run together. After like a month when we got back, she was perfect. She killed all those Strigoi on her own! She should have Dimitri back, or we really are going to be in trouble." Lissa said, shaking her head. "We really are going to be in trouble, especially when history repeats itself."

"What do you mean, when history repeats itself?" My mother asked.

"There could be another attack of the school. Then, you will not have someone that killed at least fifty Strigoi that day also, on your side. She will be off roaming the streets of Russia while we are all here being sentenced to our death."

Wow, she just keeps getting better and better.

"I think she's right, Stan. We need Rose. She is better than me, and I only have two molnija marks. She has killed over a hundred! All on her own. I didn't even kill my two on my own. I had help with my other guardian." My mother said, with a ghost of a smile on her lips. "I am going to help her."

This day keeps getting better and better. I pulled out of Lissa's head and returned to the scenery I was really in. I pulled a pillow and hugged it to my chest. There were only two days until I had to meet Dimitri. I had to meet him, and if I wasn't ready, I was going to have to kill him, for good.


	12. Chapter 12

Unless, I can go to the Royal Court, I could get there, get Robert, and get out. I don't know. I had to try. I had to try as hard as I could.

There was a knock on my door. I opened it, and, surprise, it was Alberta.

"What?" I asked, keeping up my charade.

"Your mother wants to see you. We are leaving for Robert today. We are going to get you there and out."

I smiled. I hugged her. "Oh, thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you!"

"Rose, we are leaving now. Adrian and Lissa are going to talk to the queen while we go to Victor's house. We are going to the basement?"

I nodded. "The basement. Tatiana knows where, though."

She ushered me to her office, no speaking. There was my mother and a very disgruntled Stan.

"Oh, Stan cheer up. Your just pissed I kicked your ass on the track, huh?"

He groaned and rolled his eyes.

Lissa came up to me. I gave her a hug.

"Thank you so much, Lis. You were amazing. I am so sorry for everything I said to you."

She pulled away and smiled. I should have known you would have been listening.

I nodded.

"We don't have much time. I gave him three days since the ceremony to get to the cabin. There is where I am going to have to do it."

They looked at me startled.

"And you never told us, because?"

"Because, you were still planning on killing him, now, let's go!"

Alberta and my mother led us onto the private jet.

"Calm, calm, calm, calm." I kept repeating. We were out of the wards so ghosts could come at any time.

"Rose, what are you doing?" Stan asked.

I opened my eyes and looked at him. "Staying calm so the ghosts don't fucking attack me for abusing them in the afterlife."

He looked skeptical, but nodded.

I closed my eyes and kept repeating 'calm,' over and over again. Once we landed, I stopped.

As soon as the jet's doors opened, I was through them. I stopped and waited for the group.

"If the queen asks where I was, tell her I was hunting down a Strigoi that had information on how to get on grounds. If they ask what that was, tell her humans can break the wards. They learned this and were going to tell a group that wanted the Dragomir family dead. Got it?"

They nodded, and my parents and I went a different way while I went toward where my intuition told me to go. I was still running and my mother and Alberta were breathing hard. "You guys need to train more!" I said to them. I wasn't breathless, but that is what happens when you are gone for five weeks kicking major Strigoi ass.

We reached a white mansion building. Damn, how am I supposed to get into the basement.

There were guardians out front, perfect. Just what I need.

"Hello." I said, smiling at them.

They looked at me.

"What do you want?" One asked.

"Is that Rose Hathaway?" The other asked.

"Yes, I am Rose Hathaway. Can I get inside?" I asked them, flirting with them really. My eyes did it all. They looked at me one second then stepped aside.

I walked in and looked for the basement immediately.

I found a closet in the back, and opened the door, there were steps instead. I smiled and started to walk down.

As soon as we landed, I looked around. "Robert! Robert Doru!"

I heard a muffled grunt and the light went on. "What do you want?"

"I need your help. I need to destroy that which is undead. I need to return a Strigoi to it's original state."

"Ah, the legends. How did you come across this?"

"I met a spirit user and he told me of a legend and he mentioned your name. Is it possible?"

"Ah, yes. It is very possible. I suppose you want me to tell you how?" I nodded. "It is very tricky. You have to get three spirit users and hold him down long enough to heal said Strigoi."

"Three. Lissa, Adrian, and I could ask Oksana or I could get Avery, but she'll probably kill me."

"You know of three spirit users?"

I nodded. "I know of five."

He breathed, "Five spirit users. Wow, I didn't know do many, including myself, existed."

"That is how I know five. You, and four others. I need help, I only have two availible. Would you offer to be the third?"

"What do you have to offer?"

"What do you want?"

"I want my freedom."

"Aren't you free here? You have this whole house!"

"The queen won't let me leave the premises."

"You are practically royalty, you can do whatever the hell you want!"

Robert smiled. "Yeah, I guess I can. When do you leave?"

"As soon as Lissa and Adrian get back from talking with the queen."

"I'm coming with."

"Oh, thank you, so much. You don't know what this means to me!"

"You fell in love, didn't you. And he turned Strigoi?" Robert asked, an apologetic smile on his lips.

I nodded. "There was a fight and he got dragged away."

He nodded in understanding. "It's always terrible, loosing the one you love. As soon as Victor found out my power, I was imprisoned in his home. They queen couldn't get rid of her favorite's ways, so she didn't do anything to upset him, and agreed. I hadn't seen Olena since I was thirty-five."

Olena. OMG! "Where did you go to school?"

"I went to school in Russia. I lived in a city called Baia."

"OMG! I know Olena. She is Dimitri's mother."

"Yes, that is what we names our son. Then, we had a daughter, Sonya, and another, Viktoria."

"Yes, I know them. I went to Baia. I fell in love with Dimitri, but he's a Strigoi now, and I have to have him back, or I may as well be a blood whore."

"Oh, no. No daughter-in-law of mine is going to be a blood whore." Robert said.

"But I didn't marry Dimitri. I'm still in senior year."

"It doesn't matter. Dimitri never let's anyone close to him. If you loved him, he had to love you. Therefore, in my eyes, you are my daughter-in-law, and I am going to get Dimka back for you."

I ran up and hugged him. "Thank you. I should call Olena. I'm sure they would love to see you!"

He chuckled. "That would be amazing. I do this for you, and you can call my family back to me."

"I think we have a deal."

We walked out of the basement. Me and Robert were talking about Baia and what it was like there. My mother disguised him as a guardian for us, and we made it passed the gates and into the plane.

"How is Viktoria?"

"Oh, she is great. She is going to school and getting her guardian training."

"And Karolina?"

"She has a baby girl and a son, Paul. He's ten."

"That's good, I never knew I was a grandfather. And of Sonya?"

"She last I saw her, she was pregnant. I don't think she went to guardian school."

"A baby! I guess that's what happens fifteen years of being missing."

"But, Viktoria is only sixteen. You never really met her, did you?"

He shook his head. "No, Olena was still pregnant when I was taken away. How is the house?"

"The house is in perfect shape. Yeva lives there. I like Yeva."

"Yeva! I thought she died! Does she still have her psychic dreams?"

"Oh, yeah. She doesn't speak English to any American's either. She says that we make useless conversation."

"That's Yeva alright. She always talked about how American's were useless when it comes to good conversations. Did she make you do a test to see if you were worthy of Dimka?"

"Yeah. I had to carry a HUGE pile of garden bricks to Mark and Oksana. I didn't know if they were garden bricks, but when I put them down." I stopped to laugh, "Mark opened them and sure enough, there were bricks. I wanted to punch her so bad!" I couldn't stop laughing, but thinking of their famiy brought tears to my eyes.

"Do they know of Dimka's death?"

I nodded. "Yea, I went there one night and they didn't know about the attack on the school. I went to his funeral and everything. You had a brave and strong son. What he did was like a God creating Earth. I swear, he took down twenty at once." I chuckled and a few tears escaped.

He gipped my shoulders, "Whatever happens, we are getting him back. How are you going to get to him?"

"He is meeting me in our cabin in tomorrow, I guess it is," I said, gazing at the afternoon sky.

Robert smiled. "We are going to get him back."

"I should call Olena, right now. It will be an awesome suprise."

I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I memorize since I saw it.


	13. Chapter 13

I pulled out my phone and dialed the number I memorize since I saw it.

"Allo?" a lady answered in Russian.

"Olena?" I asked, hopeful.

She said something in Russian.

"Um, English, please?" I said, helpless.

"No, this is Yeva. Who is calling?" Yeva asked.

"Oh, Yeva, I missed you. This is Rosemarie Hathaway."

"Rose!" She said, excited.

"Yes, I, um, I wanted to ask you something. What is Dimitri's father's name?"

"That is such a silly question, but his name was Robert Doru, why?" Yeva asked, curious. I smiled and looked at Robert.

"Did he disappear?" I asked her.

"Yes, but, Rose, what is this all about?"

"He isn't dead, Yeva. He's alive, and he's sitting right next to me. His half-brother kept him prisoner in his own home."

"Robert's there? Oh, can you put him on?" I smiled.

"Robert, do you want to talk to Yeva?" I asked him.

He nodded, smiling. I handed him the phone.

"Yeva?" Robert asked uncertain.

I could hear squeals on the otherside of the phone. Yeva must have gotten the rest of the family.

They started talking in Russian. I couldn't understand any of it. I picked out my name and Dimitri's name a few times, but the rest was just random stuff.

The jet door opened and Lissa and Adrian walked through.

"Robert is Dimitri's dad!" I squealed. I was smiling so big. I hugged Lissa a little tight. I felt discomfort in the bond and I let go. "Sorry." I murmured.

"How do we get Dimitri back to normal?" Adrian asked.

"Aww. Is little clover boy sad he didn't get a hug, too?" I asked, smiling. He held out his arms and I gave him a hug. I pulled away.

"Ok, Rob said that in order to return Dimka's soul, we have to get three spirit users to heal him. Robert is helping and I was wondering if you two could help also?" I asked, eyes filled with happy tears.

"Dimka?" Adrian asked, snickering.

"Yes, that is the Russian nickname for Dimitri, you have a problem with it?" I asked, looking him up and down, sizing him up.

"I'm in, just like I promised." Lissa said.

Adrain didn't look as easy to pressure. I straightened my stance and towered over him, the best I could. "I swear to God, Ivashkov, you don't do this. . ." I let the sentence trail off. He shuddered.

"Just because that is how the real Rose asks for help, and not that lovesick version I've been seeing all week, I will." I squealed.

"Rose?" Robert called.

"Yes?" I said, turning toward him.

"Viktoria wants to talk to you." He smiled. I squealed again, and Lissa looked at me questioningly.

I ran over and mouthed 'thank you' and put the phone to my ear.

"Viktoria?" I asked, hesitant. I was worried. She was still mad at me, right?

"Oh, Rose. I'm so sorry. When I heard that Denis lost track of you, I feared you were dead. I thought it was all my fault. I shouldn't have yelled."

"Viktoria, it's not your fault. It's mine. You tell Denis I'm safe. I got sorta kidnapped by Dimka and after like ten days, I escaped and went to Mark and Oksana's. Didn't they tell you I was by?"

"Well, no. They took a vacation to the states right after you got in, I guess. I don't know. It was ten days after your disappearance."

"Oh, maybe they will stop by the Academy?" I said, hopeful, yet doubtful at the same time. "Do you know where they went to?"

"Um, I think they went to Seattle and were traveling down the coast, but they may visit the Academy."

"Vik, I'm so sorry I yelled at you, though. I mean, I didn't mean any of it. It was one of my attitude take-overs." I saw Adrian trying to control his laughter. "Shut it, Ivashkov!" I said to him, and he shut it. "Sorry, my friends are laughing at me. Did you speak to Robert?"

"Oh, yes! I can't wait to meet him. Maybe we will come by this summer and see you as well!"

"Maybe. Oh, if I can get Dimka back to normal, I will visit you, I promise. I stick to my promises, too."

She giggled. "Yes. I wanted to thank you for what you did, that night. Sonya told me what happened as soon as you left. She told us who got her pregnant, I was so sick, I almost went to his house and punched the living daylights out of him."

"Aren't you supposed to be in school? Shouldn't you be in school when all of this happened?"

"I sorta skipped out on the end of the year. I didn't want to go back, not after thinking I got you killed."

"Viktoria whatever-your-middle-name-is Belikova. You didn't get me killed! You will be like three months behind in your training!" I scolded.

"Yeah, I know. I'll make it up some summer. Hell, I might even transfer to St. Vlad's. It sounds pretty good!" Viktoria said.

I rolled my eyes. "If you transfer, I won't be there. Lissa will be at the Court, going to college."

I could almost hear her eyeroll. "Then, I will transfer to the Court there and just guard Lissa, but not be assigned to her."

I laughed. "Maybe you should finish your training first, then see who you want to guard."

"Like I said, the females in the Belikova family don't get assigned to anyone. We just stay at home."

"Well, you can tell the females in the Belikova family that they are going to get Dimka back, whether they like it or not!"

There was laughter on both ends. Robert was watching me with love and protectiveness in his eyes.

Vik sighed. "I miss you, Rose."

"I miss you, too, Viktoria." I sighed.

"Oh, Olena wants to talk to you!" Vik said. I laughed.

"Well, put Olena on!"

"Bye, Rose!"

"Bye, Vik." I said. I could hear the phone shift.

"Rose!"

"Olena. Oh, I've missed you!" I gushed. My mom shot me a glance. I just glared back.

"Rose, how are you?"

"I'm great. How are you?"

"Good."

We talked about ten minutes more. I talked to everyone in the family, even Paul.

"Hey, Paul. How are you?"

"Good!" He said. He still sounded like he was ten, I just giggled.

"How is my favorite little dude doing in school? You doing good in your trainings?"

"You sound like Yeva and Dimka." he said. My heart stopped beating when he said I sounded like Dimitri.

"I know. How have things been since I left, Paul-io?" I giggled at the nickname, and he did too.

"Good, Rose-io."

"I like it. Rose-io. I can see it now, Paul. Front page news. 'Paul-io gives tough, butt-kicking Hathaway cute nickname: Rose-io." I said, putting my hand in front of my like it was right there. Adrian was laughing his ass off while Paul was giggling. "Has your grandmother made anyone carry bricks around lately?"

Paul laughed out loud. "I can't believe you actually did that! No, she didn't. There's been no one to deliver them to."

"Yeah, well those bricks were heavy. Your Uncle Dimka would have been complaining if he had to carry them." I explained. Everyone looked at me for a moment, I just smiled and laughed at the memory.

"Those were our fine moments, Rose." He said dreamily. I laughed.

"Our very best moments." I recieved wary glances from Adrain and my mother. I got a worried glance from Rob.

"For God's sake, he's ten!" I exclaimed.

"Eleven," Paul corrected.

"You're eleven now?" I looked at everyone, "He's only eleven. You are a bunch of perverts, you know that!"

Adrian was chuckling. I didn't even realize the plane was in the air.

Paul and I talked a little longer and then Vik came on and wanted to talk to Lissa. Lissa was surprised, to say the least. She talked to her and smiled.

"What was going on? What were your fine moments with an eleven year old, Rose?" My mother exclaimed.

"I was talking about when Yeva made me carry bricks across town. I mean across town. We went through downtown and kept going. Paul was telling me how she said that his Uncle Dimka wouldn't complain, and that's what Yeva told him to tell me! They were like seventy-five pounds and I was the only one carrying them. I told him that Dimitri would complain if he had to carry seventy-five pounds across town. He was telling us that those were our fine moments. I totally agree with him. We really bonded that day."

I stared off into space and then someone snapped their fingers in my face. "Wha-? Oh, sorry."

Robert giggled, it wasn't girly, but it was weird. "I was saying, thank you. You reunited me with my family."

I gave him a hug and we stayed in silence until we landed.


	14. Chapter 14

The next two days, the group that went to the Court, stayed out of classes and trained. Well, the guardians trained our asses off while the Moroi watched and powered up their magic.

"Rose, straighten up!" My mother yelled from across the gym. I was currently croutching down, nearly missing her kick.

"If I would've, you would've gotten my head off! What the hell was that for?" I yelled back when Stan came up behind me and kicked me in the butt. I turned to face him, but still keeping an eye on Janine, just in case she got cocky.

"You let your guard down, out back! You need to watch all sides." In the middle of the speech, Janine tried to punch me, but I caught it and pulled it behind her back.

"Like that Guardian Alto." I said, rolling my eyes. He seemed at a loss for words. I just smiled and released my mother, kicking her from behind, causing her to fall forward.

"How is that for an ass-whoping?" I asked Stan. My mother was still down, but smiling at my skill. "I think you forgot what I was doing for five. . .six weeks." I whispered in his ear and while he was distracted, I pushed him over on the ground next to my mother. He fell with a grunt. I smiled.

"Alberta, your turn." I said, she wanted to go seperate from them, she was better than Stan, but let's see what she can do to me.

She started out with a kick, but I grabbed her leg and twisted it so that she had to turn around. I laughed and pushed her over.

"Now what?" I asked, jutting my hip out, I noticed Stan was missing. I whirled around as he tried to land a kick. I quickly jumped to the side.

"No sneak attacks, Stan. I don't think it works that way." I giggled. He frowned. I landed a few punches and kicks and he said he was done. My mother still wanted to fight, and soon we were the only ones standing.

"What happens if you don't have a stake and a Strigoi gets to you?" my mother questioned.

"You can fight them off and then when he is down, grab your Moroi and run. I've gone over this a hundred times with Dimitri, Janine. This is really old news." I said, fighting the whole time.

"What if you are alone and you don't have your stake?" Stan called from the sidelines.

I yelled so he could hear. "You find something to decapatate them, burn them, or run!"

There was a grunt. "What if they are feeding off of someone when you find them?" Lissa yelled. Wait, Lissa?

"You keep them away from their meal, distract them, and then fight them off. Hold them down, stake 'em, or grab their human meal and run while their out."

They seemed satisfied with my answer. My mom stopped fighting after I pinned her down a few times.

"I don't think you realize that I've had multiple Strigoi attack me at once." I sighed. I grabbed a powerade and sat on the bench, next to Lissa and Adrian.

"Sup?" I asked, tilting my chin up.

"That was amazing, Rose! I didn't know you could fight like that!" Lissa gushed. I smiled.

"Just wait until some real Strigoi come, you can see what I really do!" I winked. She just rolled her eyes but looked excited.

"Good job, Rose." Adrian said.

I nodded. I wished Dimitri was here, to see that. I jumped up. "What time is it?" I said.

Alberta checked her watch, "Seven at night."

"Shit! We have to go, now!" I said. I ran out the door, grabbing my stake, just in case.

I ran until there were footfalls behind me. I glanced back, briefly to see the Guardians running alongside the Moroi, since there were only three.

I reached the cabin and noticed the lights were out. I turned them on, and saw Dimitri laying on the bed.

"Ah, Roza. I see you came." He tilted his head. "And you brought me a snack?"

"Fat chance. They want to help you. Do you remember your dad? How he disappeared?"

"Yeah, he died long ago."

I smiled, shaking my head. "No, he isn't dead. He wants to help you. He is out there, running to get here. Dimitri, please, I can get you back to normal again. I can, I promised you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, and you became this. I broke my promise Dimitri, and you can't break yours." His eyes held no emotion, just as his face did. I couldn't tell if he was angry with my speech or snapped out of his state with it. I was helpless.

That is when the others came in. They stood behind me.

"Dimitri, do you want to return back to normal. To go back to what you were when we were together, for real?" I asked him. He seemed to hesitate. He didn't make any move to attack, but he could at any moment.

I took a few steps toward him and Stan and Alberta were almost going to come after me, but my mother told them to wait.

"Dimitri, look at me." He obeyed. "Do you want to protect people, do what you loved? Or do you want to kill people, and I know that the real you hates to kill people."

"Roza, what do you have to do?"

"Three healers are going to heal you while the guardians hold you down. Is that all right?" It sounded like I was talking to a very hot and sexy two year old.

He nodded reluctantly. I went up to him and grabbed his shoulders I gently pushed him down and he stayed there.

"Guys, come on." I called to the other guardians. They nodded and started to walk over. That is when Dimitri lashed out.

He tried to get up, but I pushed him back with all my stregth. "Hurry!"

I put his head in a head lock and grabbed another one of his arms and pulled it behind his back.

Stan held his legs. While my mother and Alberta held him down by his shoulder and his ribs.

Alberta called the Moroi over, and Lissa took her place at his head, and another on his heart. Robert on his left side, and Adrian on his right.

They started to heal, and I sucked all of the darkness out of Lissa while doing so, fighting everything that could control me. I just focused on Dimitri.

It was about three hours worth of healing and I could tell Dimitri was getting back to normal. His skin got to his normal tan, and his face turned into a grimmace. Lissa was getting tired.

"Lissa, if you can't take it, feed from me, I don't care." I told her. She nodded, and not letting go, bit down on my neck. She only took a little bit, but it was enough to get all of her darkness and feel a little high.

The healing continued for a few more hours, and the female guardian offered to be a meal, which I thought was funny.

"He should be done!" Robert said. All of the healers let go and the Guardians held on.

"Dimitri, look at me." I ordered. His eyes flashed open, and they were the chocolate brown that I knew all too well.

I let go and he sat up, at his speed. Which was my speed. I smiled. There were tears in my eyes.

"Am I really back?" He asked, uncertain.

I nodded.

"You really are!" I gave him a hug and he wrapped the arm that wasn't being held by my mother around me. I smiled. He let go and I took a step back. He was smiling very big and gave my mother a was a little frazzled, but hugged him back.

"It's good to have you back, Guardian Belikov." She said.

He went to hug the rest of them, and then got to Robert.

"Nice to see you again, son!" Robert gave him a big hug. Dimitri just stood there, stunned.

"Dad?" He whispered. Then, he wrapped his arms around him.

I ran up to Lissa and Adrian. "OMG! Thank you so much, no more mean ass dhampir on you, Adrian. Lissa, I will totally be your guardian, I promisimo." I whispered.

"Aw, little dhampir. I am going to miss mean ass Rose." He fake pouted.

I just smiled. "Then, maybe you will get it."

"Our dates off." He said, abruptly.

"What?" I asked, clearly confused.

"You said that we would get one date, but I'm cancelling. You don't have to."

"I didn't promise anyway, Ivashkov." I said, seriously. Then, I smiled and gave him a quick hug.

I let go and felt arms circle me. I smiled and looked back.

"You didn't cut your hair, I see." Dimitri said.

"I never would."

"They know?" He asked, looking around. I nodded, knowing what he meant.

"I had to tell them, or else you would be dead." I whispered.

He pulled me closer and crushed his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed back.

I pulled away when I was out of breath.

"That was so much better." I whispered. He suddenly pushed away from me, turning his head towards the wall and I couldn't help but wonder what I had said. His expression was hard, but I knew him well enough to see the flicker of anguish in his eyes. "Comrade, I- What's wrong?"

He seemed at a loss for words. "God, Roza... I-I fed off of you... I hurt you and..." He stepped away as I reached for him. He was a more vulnerable man than he was before he was Strigoi. He seemed truly affected by this. "Don't come near me." I didn't know what to do to make him understand I was okay. I wasn't hurt anymore - and at the time I did want him to bite me.


	15. Chapter 15

The next few weeks, I had to train Dimitri. Alberta and Stan helped. My mother left to go back to her assignment. Dimitri had a lot of his Strigoi strength, but he lost all of his skill. Lissa told me what her and Viktoria were talking about, and she said that once Vik graduates, she is going to come to court and be Lissa's unassigned guardian. I smiled at the thought. Robert went to Baia to live with Olena and them, and I was happy for him. The queen thinks he escaped between guard shifts.

"Rose!" Alberta called from the other side of the gym. I looked up.

"Kirova wants to see you!"

Great, I had to tell Kirova what happened, minus the 'I love him and he loves me' explanation. I told her that we got Dimitri back to his Dhampir form before he could get me and kill me. She totally bought it.

I ran to her office and knocked. I walked in and stopped. There was someone I never thought I would see in the next few months left.

"Kirova, you called me?" I said, keeping eye contact on the figure in the seats.

"Yes, Rose. This girl wanted to transfer and recommended you to be her trainer."

I smiled. "Yes!" I said, jumping. "Oh, sorry, I mean, um, yes, I would love to be her private trainer, headmistress."

I bowed slightly, mocking her. "Don't mock me! Rose, escort her to the gym. Maybe you and Alberta can catch her up?"

"Yes, and what year will she be in?"

"She will be in senior year. The Academy in Russia is very advanced for here. She is far ahead."

I smiled, this was going to be great.

"Thank you, Kirova. Follow me, Miss."

The sixteen year old got up and followed me. I started to run back to the gym.

"Stay here for a moment. They are going to be so psyched that you are here. Hold on! Wait for my cue!"

She nodded and stood by the door. I went in and walked over to the center.

"Stop your fighting! I would like to present to you my student. That's right, I'm teaching, Ivashkov." I said to Adrian's disbelieving face.

"Please welcome, my favorite little girl, under the age of seventeen, Viktoria Belikova!"

Dimitri stopped moving at once. I smiled. I looked back at the door, and Viktoria came through.

"Dimka!" She squealed running up to him. He grabbed her and wrapped her up in a hug, spinning her around.

I laughed. Adrian looked at her in awe. I think she has a stalker! I sang in my head.

Dimitri put her down and she stood in the center.

"I'm Viktoria Belikov, and I will be a senior here. The training in Russia was ahead of them here." She said, heavy Russian accent and all.

"I'm Alberta Petrov, it's nice to have another Belikov here. Are you as good as your brother?"

I smiled. "Oh, I think I'm better." Viktoria said. I laughed.

"Stan Alto, nice to meet you." he said, indifferently. If she was a dead skunk on the road or an angel from heaven, he wouldn't give a damn.

"Adrian Ivashkov. Nice to meet you." Adrian said, offering his hand to shake. She shook it.

"You have to be careful around him. He's been trying to get me to go on a date with him since Christmas." I whispered into her ear.

She laughed.

"I did not!" Adrian defended.

"Fine, since the ski thing, which was December, so that might as well be Christmas, Ivashkov."

"Remember how we first met?" he said, dreamily.

"Yeah, I do. I remember wanting to shove my foot so far up your ass that you would choke on your cigarettes." I laughed. He growled.

Viktoria laughed. "I think I heard that story before."

Did I tell her that? "I think you did, too. I tell everyone I meet about you, Ivashkov, maybe we can count how many. Um, three?" I said, counting in my head. "No!" Adrian looked hopeful. "Five, yeah, it was five." He scowled, while Viktoria gave me a high five.

"That was good." She approved.

"It is only just getting started. Once time-" I was cut off.

"Rose, why don't you train Miss Belikov?"

I sighed. "Fine, Alberta." I turned to look at Vik's terrified face. "This is going to be so much fun."

She gulped. "Just don't kill me!" She said in a small voice.

"We'll see." I laughed. She giggled.

She was a good fighter, really good. She almost knocked me down a few times but I caught my balance just in time.

"That was good, Vik, real good." I said, breathlessly after it all ended.

"Thanks." She barely got out, breathless, too.

We went our seperate ways to our dorms. It was nice, having someone that was a girl, and that you knew, be in the same year as you. She was going to get an all out ass whoping tomorrow. I'm going Dimitri on her ass. She is not going to like it, one bit.


	16. Chapter 16

I woke up that morning with a smile on my face. I got dressed quickly and ran to the gym.

"Rose, so nice of you to come by!" Viktoria said, from the door that led to the track.

"Ah, Viktoria, we won't be running today. I am going to go Dimitri on your ass." I laughed. She looked like she was going to be pushed down the stairs.

"Come on, I am going to go easy on you until I see how much skill you actually have."

She smiled and walked forward. I did everything Dimitri did to me the first day I fought with him. She was good. She fell down a few times and I helped her up and told her to try again. After about an hour, I stopped.

"Time for class." I explained. She nodded. We only had about seven weeks until school lets out. She had the same classes as me, ironically.

I walked into our first class. I won't forget the first day in this class when Mason kicked my ass across town and back. I missed Mason, he didn't deserve to die.

"Rose, are you okay?" Viktoria asked.

"Oh, yes. I am just going down memory lane." I looked at the crowd that turned toward our enterance. "Everyone! I would like to introduce Viktoria Belikov." I said, over the quiet murmurs, it sounded like I was yelling.

"Great, Rose, did you have to do that?"

"They were going to find out sooner or later. And it's better sooner, when you show that it's not a weakness, than later, when you are the gossip of the school already."

"Great, so there will be gossip?"

"Oh, it's just getting started. I'm surprised they didn't find out yesterday."

She laughed. "Hello, I just moved here from Russia, and before you ask, yes, Guardian Belikov is my brother."

I smiled and ushered her forward, this was going to be a fun time, very fun. She was going to be the spotlight, and not me.

"So, Rose, how do you know Viktoria?" Eddie asked.

Or maybe not.

"I met her when I left."

"You went to Belikov's family?"

"They didn't know that he was. . .missing. I went and told them. No one from the attack realized that his family didn't know."

They accepted this answer and Viktoria was grateful I covered her and my history.

The instructer came in and told us to get to stretching. We stretched a little less than anyone else. Viktoria was wincing in pain. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go that hard on you."

She smiled. "No, I am sure it is better than having Guardian Petrov or Guardian Alto go at me."

"You got that right. We really got to get you ready for finals. You are going to be so sore in the morning."

After out classes, I walked with her to the gym. Dimitri was there for his trainings as well.

"Double trainings, awesome!" I yelled. Alberta turned and faced me.

"Stakes?" she asked me.

"Stakes." I confirmed. She went to the supply closet and pulled out some dummies.

"So, Vik, where is the heart located?" I said, playing with my stake.

She pointed to the middle of her chest. "What is in the way of the heart?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes. "The ribs."

I shrugged my shoulders. "Good enough. Alberta, give her some practice thingies. Let her have at the poor suckers."

Alberta smiled and handed her a practice stake. Viktoria took it and thrust it in the right spot.

"What are these bones made of?" Vik asked, stunned.

"That's a good question."

Alberta looked at her and then at me. "They are made of hard plastic."

"Oh, I always wondered what was so strong." I said, dreamily.

Alberta and Dimitri looked at me like I lost my marbles.

"You did good, Vik. I think it's Dimka's turn." Dimitri took his stake and started to attack. He moved gracefully, more graceful than I've seen since his return.

He attacked at thrust it in so far, I could barely see it.

"I think the old Dimitri is back. Good job, Comrade." I smiled.

He didn't smile but I could tell he was proud of himself.

"Alberta, should we do finals on him. I think he's ready."

She nodded. "I'll talk it over with Kirova."

I nodded, when she left, and I started to teach Vik on some techniques. I handed her a collapasble stake.

"Do your worst on me."

"Rose, I can't stake you!"

"Ah, Dimitri, do you remember this rule?"

He smiled at me. "I think I do, Rose."

I looked at Viktoria. "You can never hesitate. Your life and your Moroi's life depend on it. Your Strigoi attacker could be your friend that went missing. You never know who it could be. You NEVER hesitate."

"But, Rose, if a Strigoi was my mother, I couldn't do that!"

I smiled. "The only way for you to do that, is for you to remind yourself, they are not who they think they were. They are different. They will never be the same."

"You didn't."

"I did. I stake Dimitri, twice. The first was wooden and the second, I missed. I remember thinking, when he sent me the letter, all those practice dummies for nothing!"

"Oh, so you did stake him?"

"Oh, she did. Hurt like hell, but she did." Dimitri said.

"I didn't mean to, okay? Well, I did, I just had to do it."

"And I'm happy you did. I kept saying one thing, but I was thinking another." he said.

"So, this rule, you want me to just stake you?"

"Oh, yes, but I will be fighting back."

She nodded and came around my back and just tried to stab me, but I dodged and head-locked her.

"You're dead." I said, laughing.

She pulled out and we tried again.

We kept going and out of every three matches, she would only win one.

I was exhausted by the end of the training. She even tried to go against Dimitri, but it didn't work well. He jumped behind her and hugged around her waist.

"Alright, how about me and Dimitri go, for old times sake. Vik will get a kick out of this."

Vik nodded eagerly and Dimitri looked a little hesitant. I reached my hand out and Vik handed me the retractible stake.

I attacked Dimitri from behind. He spun around and just as I was about to land on him, he jumped to the side, I landed and spun around. I kicked and punched and when he was down, I staked him.

"Got you."

He laughed and I offered a hand to help him up. He took it and jumped up. He grabbed me around the waist and hugged me close to him. I smiled at the warmth of his body touched me. He grabbed my hands and thrust the 'stake' to my heart.

"Got you." He whispered in my ear. I almost shuddered. That was so hot.

I spun around and leaned up to whisper in his ear. "I think we're even."

He shuddered. I moved back and smirked. He glared at me, playfully and I just turned and walked toward the door.

"That is how you get someone." I said, looking at Vik's disgusted form. I laughed as I walked out. Vik was not far behind and Dimitri was there, right next to me.

"Woah! How did you do that?"

He chuckled. "I can sneak up on you too."

"Yeah, but I can kick your ass."

"Maybe, but I can kick yours too."

I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, guppy."

"Guppy?" He asked, stopping his strides.

I turned to look at him, smiling.

"Yes, you are my student, therefore, you are my guppy. Have a nice day, Guppy, Guppy Jr."

Viktoria rolled her eyes and Dimitri looked a little scared of me.

"I like Comrade better!" Dimitri shouted as I walked away.

"Oh, trust me, I know!" I called back. I laughed.


	17. Chapter 17

The next few days passed, and today was Dimitri's final. I went to the gym early and sat there, waiting. The Guardian's were going to ambush him and see how well it went. There is no reason why he shouldn't pass.

The doors opened and all of the guardians walked in and took their positions. I sat there and started to read my book, Another Faust.

I heard the doors open again, and looked up.

"Hey, Guppy. What's going on?" I said, casually.

Viktoria was right behind him and I patted the seat next to me. She ran over and gave me a hug.

"Is it happening today?" she whispered in my ear.

"Now," I whispered back. I pulled out of the hug and sat back down. I looked at Dimitri, he looked at me suspiciously.

"Well, what are you just standing there for?" I asked him.

"Something doesn't feel right." He whispered. I smiled.

Alberta was the first out of her position and she came up from behind Dimitri and tried to tackle, but Dimitri was quicker and moved to the side and pinned her down, bringing out his 'stake' I gave to him last night. He 'stabbed' her and went for the others that came out. I watched, my mouth open. He was better than I realized. He was even better than a god. He was like the ultimate power or something. It was amazing. It was a good thing I was video taping this. Vik was watching that but would glance at the camera every few seconds, like she misssed something and needed to see it again. I was watching both scenes, the camera and the reality. I couldn't decide which was better. After a ten minutes, it was over. I pressed stop when Alberta gave the sign and handed it to her.

"That was amazing, Dimka!" Viktoria said. I smiled.

Dimitri came over to me. "I think Viktoria pretty much said it, but she forgot one thing. You are much more than a god."

The guardian's filtered out to review the tape and give their scores. As soon as it was just me, Dimitri, and Viktoria, Dimitri gave me a passionate kiss. I pulled away.

"Gross! You are all sweaty, and now I'm sweaty!" I said, using a two-year-old voice.

Dimitri chuckled and kissed me again. I kissed back, tangling my hands in his long hair. Viktoria cleared her throat and I looked at her.

"Is something wrong?" I teased her. "Not seeing enough?"

She rolled her eyes. "I've seen enough to last me a lifetime. Disgusting."

She turned and walked over to the bench. I watched her sit and then I looked at Dimitri.

"You really shouldn't torture your sister like that! It's cruel!" I told him, playfully whacking his arm. He took his un-whacked arms and rubbed where I whacked.

"Ow." He said, looking into my eyes.

I laughed. "Damn right it hurts. Now, as I was saying, let's sit next to Viktoria and bug her. You can't be the only one giving her a hard time."

Dimitri rolled his eyes, and I just started walking. A few minutes of pestering Viktoria, and Alberta and Stan came back in.

"Here are your scores." Alberta said, handing them to Dimitri, who was already across the gym.

"Thank you," I heard Dimitri say. Stan was rubbing his shoulder and grumbling. Alberta said that there was no thanks necissary. She walked away, but not before I saw her bruised arms and cheek. She was really going to hurt in the morning. Dimitri was next to me before I could realize that they left. He may have had his Strigoi characteristics, but he sure as hell not one.

He started to flip the letter over carefully, over and over again.

"Will you just open it already, Guppy?" I snapped. He grinned at me.

"No."

"Please, Dimka, I am dying over here." Vik said.

"Shut it, GJ!" I said, using my nickname for my nickname or her. I don't even think that makes sense. GJ is short for Guppy Jr. She hates it.

"No, Rose. If you use that name I will talk however much I want."

"Then I will just call you. . .Beta. You know? Like the fish or my second hand girl."

She rolled her eyes and knelt down in front of Dimitri.

"Dimka, open it, or I sw-" Vik stopped when she realized it was already opened.

He pulled it out and unfolded the letter with the printed out scores.

"I. . . did. . . not. . . fail." He said, watching me, dragging out the sentence as long as he could. My temper was flairing. I smiled when he said that he didn't fail.

"Did you pass, then?" Vik asked. I looked at Dimitri again.

"Um, yes?" He said, more like a question.

"Did you or did you not have sexual relations with that girl." I said, mockingly.

He laughed and handed the paper to me and Vik. I looked at it and saw:

YOU PASSED, JUST GIVE IT TO THE GIRLS AS SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE.

CONGRATULATIONS,

ALBERTA.

I was pissed. "What the hell!" I shouted.

Dimitri smirked. "I am doing as I was told."

I shook my head. "NO, not that! I can't call you Guppy any more, Guppy. You. . .you get the name of. . . Comrade again. I am out of ideas."

Vik laughed while Dimitri looked as pissed as me.

"But I was starting to like Guppy."

"Yeah? Well that was before you passed your finals. Good job, Comrade, way to ruin the fun." I teased. He smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Nah uh, no more. Rose, you are coming with me. You are not going to go sucking faces with my brother anymore. Come on!" Vik said.

She grabbed my arm and started pulling me away.

"See you later, Comrade! Oh, and congrats!" I yelled as I was going through the doors.

Yeah, my life was hell and then it was heaven. Maybe my life is Purgatory. Who knows? I don't and I sure as hell know that no one else does.


	18. Chapter 18

Finals was coming around soon. I didn't take lessons any more. Dimitri considered me fully trained. I still went for practice. Dimitri snuck kisses when no one was looking. I was walking down the corridor when some fake Strigoi attacked me. I knew then that this was my final. Every Novice is attacked at a random time and they see how they do. I pulled out the fake stake and kicked and punched, staking some people and then walking away like they were dead. There was only five, but I got two down in the first minute. I kicked to my left, sending Stan backwards four feet. I staked the Strigoi behind me and then to one that was trying to sneak up.

"Hello Stan." I smiled.

"Rose." He nodded. I lunged and staked him. I put the stake away and wiped my hands in triumph.

Dimitri was sitting on the sidelines, holding the video tape. I smirked and walked over to him.

"You can turn that off now, Comrade."

He shut the lense and walked off, kissing me quickly on the cheek. I turned and headed toward the dorms, noticing Viktoria in the bushes. She got up and smiled when I saw her.

"Eavesdropping and peeping, the two most punishable offenses that condemn Rose Hathaway and you are doing them. I have taught you well, GJ."

"I am not a Guppy Junior anymore."

I nodded, "Your right, you are a Comrade Junior. So, CJ, what are you doing?"

Viktoria passed her finals yesterday. She was good, really good, but she didn't want to be assigned any where, and she made that clear to all of the guardians.

"Just watching your final. It was amazing, I must say. You had more guardians that I did. Everyone else had three, you had five."

I was puzzled. I did have five. Why? I had finished my Molnija ceremony, after Dimitri had interrupted my other, and I now had fifty new molnija marks.

"Let's go to Lissa's dorm."

Vik nodded and we walked in the opposite direction.

When we reached Lissa's dorm, the door was slightly open. I looked around and then stepped inside carefully. Lissa was sitting there, smiling. I was confused, why was the door open?

"Why-?" I started, Vik cut me off.

"We are going to hang out." Vik said.

"That still doesn't explain why-"

"I knew you were coming. Guardian Belikov told me that you had your final today."

I nodded. "So that explains why your door was open?"

She shrugged, "I think I figured it out."

Could she be any more vague.

"Explanation?"

"What? Oh, yes. I figured out the bond. I can sense where you are going now. Adrian has been helping me."

I thought about something. Adrian is going to be going back to college when we graduate. Shit! He is going to go to Court too!

"Lis, Adrian is going to come to Court when we do, isn't he?"

She nodded, smiling even bigger. "Yeah! Rose, isn't that great?"

I groaned, then plopped on Natalie's old bed. "No, it's not. I do not want to have to deal with him trying to get me in bed everyday."

"Rose, has he ever tried to get you in bed ever since Belikov came back?"

I thought about it. He never really did. He would have an occasional sex related joke, but nothing out right.

"No, I guess he hasn't. Maybe he really has moved on."

"I know he has." Lissa said. Vik sat next to me.

"Really? With who?"

"ME!" Lissa squealed. My mouth dropped open. No way! What about Christian! Oh my!

"What about Christian?" I asked her. She looked at the floor.

"I only agreed to get Christian jealous. I want him back so bad, Rose! I really do! I don't care if he kissed you! I don't. I mean, I kissed that one guy at the party, he kissed you. We are even. If he can't come up with that conclusion, then I am going to have to make him want me back."

I smiled. She's been hanging around me too much. "You are too much like Rose." Vik said. I nodded, smiling even bigger.

I sat there, thinking about it. The queen would love Lissa and Adrian together. She hates the Ozera's. Lissa loved Christian, but what would happen if she got too attached to Adrian? What if she became dependent on him and forgot about Christian all together? God! Why do I care so much on what happens to Christian? I mean, he's cute, has a cool attitude, and everyone hates him, why do I feel like I have to defend him? Dimitri is going to kill me, but I think I like Christian. I am in love with Dimitri, but I like Christian.

We talked about the guys for a while and then we all went our seperate ways. I went back to my dorm to find Dimitri standing by the door.

"Well, hello, Comrade!" I said from behind him. He jumped. I laughed and put the key in.

"Do you want to come in," He didn't make any move to come in, "Or not?" I added for him benefit.

"I'd rather not. Here, I have your results for your final."

I nodded, "Thanks." I hid my disappointment until I was in my room. I looked at the door and didn't find it opening, so I opened the letter.

Congratulations! Rosemarie Hathaway, you have passed your finals with flying colors. Please read the score below:

Body Movement: 23/25  
Skill: 25/25  
Strength: 24/25  
Speed/Agility: 25/25  
Total: 97/100

I looked down. I did good, really good. I did a lot better than all of the Novices, including Vik. I looked up when the door opened. Vik stepped in.

"Dimitri said that you got your final when I asked him. Can I see?"

I nodded, handing her the paper. We only had two weeks till graduation. Why was Dimitri acting so weird around me? Had - Had he moved on? What if he has? What would I do? I would sulk in my room for a month. There wasn't as if I could talk to anyone. Lissa was still upset and she wouldn't give me rational advice. Jesse? No. Ralf? No. Eddie? No. Christian? Yes.

As if on my own accord, I found myself knocking on Christian's door. He opened it and tried to slam it in my face wen he saw me, but I pushed myself inside. "I just need to talk to someone. You're probably the only one that will listen." He sighed and gestured for me to sit. I sat at the edge of the bed and twiddled my fingers. "I feel like Dimitri's hiding from me. I don't see him ever, and if I do, he makes an excuse to leave." She frowned and glanced at Christian. "Has he said anything to you guys? Does he want me to leave him alone or-"

"Why didn't you ask him?"

I frowned. "I... I can't even get a conversation going. He just leaves the room. Even the gym, he ignores me. Puts on some horrid Russian pop music that he and Viktoria like. I would ask Viktoria, but she'd tell Dimitri and... I don't know. I must be pretty desperate if I came to you, Ozera."

"Yeah, why dd you?"

"Lissa's still upset. Adrian likes Viktoria... He'd only tell her. Eddie's always around Lissa and he'd say something to her." She shrugged. "You'd give it to me straight."

"You need to talk to Belikov yourself, Rose. You know I'm shit with this stuff."

Rose sighed. "You're right. I just don't want to push him away because of it."

"Lock yourselves in the gym. Now leave so I can get some shut eye. You may still be getting used to American time, but I'm already used to it and it's my bedtime, Hathaway." Rose laughed and ducked out, muttering a thanks as she headed towards her Dorm, feeling a bit better about herself.


	19. Chapter 19

For the sun and the moon to align every night was just like me trying to talk to Dimitri. Impossible. I would ask him if he wanted to train, but he'd look at me then turn away, saying that we already graduated. That there was no point. So, I decided to take matters in my own hands. I took Christian's advice and shut the gym door, locking it and throwing the only key far towards the mats. He looked up from a Western novel and raised an eyebrow.

"That's it, Comrade," I said fiercly. "What's wrong? You've been out of it since I passed my tests."

"We are to start to guard the princess after she graduates," he said softly, looking me in the eyes as he rose and set the novel down. Rose walked towards him, letting him explain. "Roza, that means that we can't be together. Because if she were in danger, yes, I'd guard her. But if the danger went after you, what if I stop guarding the princess and try to protect you? It will get her killed."

"You won't. I know that you can put business before your personal life. This is the same thing. You know I can protect myself, Dimitri. Please, just, let's try it. We'll be at Court most of the time anyways. No one can hurt us there, nor her. We'll be safe. And we can still be together. I really want us to try. Do you know how much I've been through just to try to get to you?" I grabbed his arm before he could walk away. "I've done everything I could to bring you back and this is how you repay me? Yes, that may sound selfish of me, but I love you, Dimitri. And I will do everything I can to be with you. The only thing I worry about now is if you love me too. Or did it fade away?"

"Of course I love you," he whispered, taking my hand, "But if I let myself love you, it could kill the Princess."

I sighed, "How about this," I reasoned. "When we're working, we completely act as if we don't care for each other. And when we stop working, we act however we want."

He was silent and I didn't think he would reply. That's when I started to grow really worried. So, I did what I could. I started to catalog everything about him. His silky brown hair that flowed like a waterfall to his shoulders. His chocolate brown eyes that held mine, making me melt right then and there. Those plump pink lips that were just as smooth as they looked. His perfectly tanned skin, absolutely tan all the way through. And then his hands, perfectly calloused with all the past fighting he'd done. But they were so smooth. So gentle. And they fit perfectly over mine. And his voice, slightly twinged with a Russian accent. He was too perfect, too godly, for his own good.

"I hate pretending," he said finally. "If I'm with you, I want everyone to know I'm with you. They already know we're together here. There's no point in hiding it in the real world as well."

"That's not what I'm saying," I said softly. "What if we. . . we just see how it is. See where it takes us? I just absolutely want to be with you and when you started to ignore me. . . I thought that you didn't want to see me anymore." I looked away from him as tears started to build up in my eyes. "I thought you found out about the Christian thing. And-"

"What Christian thing?" he asked. Shit.

"Well, before we restored your soul," I told him softly, looking down. "I had the molinja ceremony. And I asked Christian to come, right? For Lissa? Cause I wanted them back together. So I thought, you know, Rose should play matchmaker. Anyway, he called me a Strigoi-lover and I sort of attacked him and told him what happened while I was gone and how I was proud to be a Strigoi-lover and what not. . ." I trailed off as I saw him wince. "And, I totally meant it. I love you no matter what you are. And, well, he kissed me. . . and I threw him off me. . . and told him to tell Lissa about the thingy. Anyways, that's all. But I swear, it meant nothing. He's sort of the reason I'm here right now.!"

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I didn't know what to do when you kept leaving. So... I asked him what I should do and he said lock us in the room together."

He sighed, "After I beat the shit out of Christian, sure." I smiled, a jealous Comrade was still my Comrade.

I shook my head, "You can beat him up afterwards. But you're coming with me."

"Where?" he asked, confused. He saw where I was dragging him to and raised an eyebrow, "Roza, we can't-"

"They already know," I interrupted. "And I promise to be quiet. Dimka. . .?"

I knew I had him there and he knew it too. "Oh, alright. But you have to be the one that explains to Viktoria why she's locked out of her room," Dimitri grinned.

"I hate you," I teased, shutting the office door behind him, locking it. He grinned and pulled my shirt off.

"I love you too," he murmured before capturing my lips with his in pure bliss. I had my Dimitri back.


	20. Chapter 20

I set my face as the Strigoi advanced. His brown hair was tied back, his red eyes piercing mine. He looked strangely familiar. A cruel smile lit up his face and he took a step forward, forcing me to step back. He was too close. My nausea was getting worse.

"Roza, I knew you couldn't resist forever with me," the Strigoi purred with a slight Russian accent.

So familiar... My breath froze as I realized, this Strigoi wasn't random, but a friend of mine. A comrade.

"Dimitri," I whispered. "Please, you don't want to do this. I mean, forever can't be a good thing, right? Think of all the time you'll have to sit around being bored!"

Dimitri didn't seem amused and took a step forward, "Nice try."

And then he lunged. What kind of Guardian was I? I didn't have my stake! I tried to fight, but I was shoved onto the ground, my face eating the dirt.

And something sharp pierced the skin above my collar bone, in the crook of my neck. I screamed, trying to kick.

"Roza!" A voice called. "ROZA!"

I woke with a start and stared into the brown eyes of Dimitri Belikov, "Comrade," I breathed. He hugged me to him, rocking me back and forth as I tried to control my racing heart. My hand flew to my neck, which ached, and I felt the blood. I gasped, jumping off the bed and running to the bathroom. "What the fuck!" I cried.

Dimitri was in the door in an instant and he pressed his hand to the wound to stop the blood flow, and grabbed a towel from the towel rack behind the door. "Okay, what happened?"

"I-I had a dream, and-" I paused, thinking of how I'd tell him. "A Strigoi attacked me. He had me pinned on my stomach and he just bit. I woke up when you started to wake me and felt the blood. I-I don't know how that happened!" I was seriously freaked out. What the fuck!

"Has this ever happened before?" Dimitri asked.

I shook my head, wincing as I did so.

He carefully removed the blood soaked towel and gave a short breath of shock.

"What?" I asked, looking at my neck in the mirror. It was completely gone. The blood, the mark. The towel was the only evidence. "Okay, that's just creepy," I stated.

"Roza-"

"Dimitri," I challenged as he gave me that look of 'who did this?'

"Who was the Strigoi in your dream?"

I shook my head, turning on my shower, "No one. Care to join me?"

Dimitri wasn't going to let it go, but hopefully he'd take this bait... "I'd be happy to," Dimitri smiled charmingly.

I slid into the shower, Dimitri right behind me. At least he wouldn't ask... for a few more hours or so.


	21. Chapter 21

Assignment day was the day everyone loved. The day we all appreciated the fact we made, we survived... when a lot of us didn't. Mason came to my eyes the most out of everyone. He had been one of my best friends, a Guardian.

"I just want us to continue seeing each other," I told Dimitri quietly. "When Lissa's our assignment, that doesn't mean we can't protect her... We can be total acquaintances when we're with her. Please, I've lost you once already, I can't do it again."

Dimitri's brown hair was neatly pulled back, his finest black attire on, "I'm already assigned to her, Roza, as are you. They just need to announce it... Whether we like it or not, that's how it's going to have to be. I can't seem to get rid of you."

I snorted, staring at the ground a second before meeting his eyes, "I love you."

"And I love you," he insisted, kissing me lightly before turning me around to zip up my dress. His fingers traced the molnija marks on my neck, and then the promised mark that was on the nape of my neck. "You went through so much to find me."

"I wasn't going to give up until I did find you," I told him. "I would have killed every last one of them if it meant I could see you again."

"You were going to kill me."

"We made a promise," I replied. "I would kill you if you turned Strigoi, and you would kill me." I turned slowly, linking my arms around his neck as I stared into his brown eyes, "Have you called your family yet?"

"No," he said quietly. "They haven't heard from me since before I turned Strigoi."

I frowned, "You should call them or visit them..."

"We can't now that Lissa's our assignment. We don't have simple liberties."

I lowered my gaze to his black t-shirt and then back to his eyes, "We're going to be late. Come on."

But we didn't need to rush. Hardly anyone was there when we got there, and by the time the ceremony was started, Adrian was already drunk.

They called out names, their number of molnija marks, and then their assignment, unless they wished to stay unassigned. Only Viktoria wished to not be assigned. She had two marks, as well, which surprised me.

"Rosemarie Hathaway," Kirova stated, and I started to walk across the stage, accepting the forms from Alberta as she passed them to me. "Fifty two molnija marks, a buria mark, and she is promised to Princess Vasilisa Dragomir, alongside Guardian Dimitri Belikov."

"Congrats, Rose," Alberta said quietly.

"Thanks," I gave her a smile before exiting the stage and taking my seat next to Lissa, and on the other side, Dimitri.

"We have three months before I have school," Lissa said slowly, "I'm thinking a road trip."

Dimitri raised an eyebrow, "A road trip?"

"You know," she shrugged. "Traveling."

"Lissa I don't think that's a good idea," I winced as she gave me a glare.

"I brought lover-boy back, I'm saying road trip."

"You can't keep using that as a defense," I informed her, glancing at Dimitri. "Besides-"

"Of course," Dimitri said. "Where do you wish to go, Princess?"

"Lissa," Lissa corrected. "And well, I already booked and bought tickets. And made arrangements. Viktoria says she'll go as well."

"Where to?" Dimitri asked. I sighed in defeat. He was for this.

"Surprises," she insisted. "Everything's been arranged."

"Adrian didn't help you, did he?" I asked, glancing across the table to Adrian, who was talking to Viktoria, his words slurring. This banquet ceremony obviously was beneficial to Adrian's alcoholism.

"Of course he did. He's my boyfriend."

I saw Christian, who was talking to Eddie, his new Guardian, wince. Christian obviously still cared for Lissa.

"Well," I said, shrugging. "I'm game."

She smiled brightly, "Great! We're going to have so much fun together! Viktoria, Adrian, you, me, Dimitri."

"Woah, Adrian's going too?" I asked, groaning. "Lissa."

"Duh, he's going," Lissa rolled her eyes. "I thought it was assumed, as he did set it all up."

"I still owe him like a ton of money," I grimaced.

Not even three days later, we boarded an airplane, Lissa still not telling us where we were going. In the air, I had to repeat my mantra of staying calm as we crossed the Pacific ocean.

"Who's meeting us at the airport?" Dimitri asked Adrian.

Adrian shrugged, "Depends on the time. Could be Abe, could be Sydney."

"Sydney?" Dimitri asked, glancing at me as I smiled in acknowledgment.

"Long story," I smirked. "She sort of helped me find your family."

"What do you mean, sorta?"

"Well, I passed out in her truck, and she drove me to Baia," I admitted, shrugging. "She's an alchemist."

"You have the strangest friends," Dimitri concluded.

I shrugged, giving him a peck on the cheek, as I glanced at Viktoria and Lissa talking quietly on the other side of the private jet. Adrian sort of went overboard.

"They get along well," I pointed out.

Adrian smirked, "Yes, they do. Guess I'll be seeing the little dhampir a lot more often."

I shot him a glare, "Don't you dare, Ivashkov."

"Don't I dare, what?" he asked innocently.

"Go after Viktoria," I insisted. "Don't do it."

"And why not?" he asked.

"Because I'll kick your ass, Ivashkov," Dimitri stated simply.

Adrian eyed Dimitri before shrugging, "She can put up with me."

"And your alcohol and cigarettes?" I returned.

He grinned, "Not an issue."

I raised an eyebrow in surprise, "It's not?"

"Nope, I only had to get super drunk at the ceremony because I was getting big backlash of the spirit I had used."

I frowned, "You should have said..."

"No problem, little dhampir," he rose and headed towards the bar, "Want something?"

"No," Dimitri and I said at the same time.

"Suit yourselves," Adrian poured a thick glass of brandy, before resuming his seat. He lifted it up, the ice clinking against the glass, "Cheers."


	22. Chapter 22

As soon as we landed, I recognized where we were. I shot Lissa an incredulous look before slowly walking down the stairs of the private jet. It was night time, and there was a fair few guardians waiting for us. I recognized the man standing in front of them all, tanned skin and golden jewelery that obviously was expensive. After making sure we were well guarded, I leapt off of the stairs and straight towards the man.

"Zmey," I grinned. "I'm pretty sure this part of the trip wasn't in Adrian's book. A personal landing pad in Baia, really?"

"I can pull in a few favors," he smirked. His eyes flickered behind my shoulder. "So you did that foolish errand and restored a Strigoi soul."

"I get my stubbornness from Mom," I winked. 

He raised an eyebrow. "Obviously. I'm not stubborn." He completely was.

Rose grinned and glanced at Dimitri, who was approaching her. "Dimitri, this is Zmey, my father. Normal people call him Abe." Her father didn't seem too pleased with her introduction. "Zmey, this is Dimitri. Boyfriend. Normal people call him Dimitri."


End file.
